John Junor WESTERN BUREAU:
THE MINISTRY of Health is proposing the creation of a public health fund which, if approved, could increase the tax on cigarettes and liquor.
Health Minister John Junor announced Thursday that the Ministry was proposing the creation of a health fund from the tax on cigarettes and liquor.
If accepted, he said, this fund would be used to alleviate the current burden of the treatment of chronic diseases on the health system.
"We have had discussions with a view to bringing this proposal to Cabinet," Minister Junor told reporters at Thursday's meeting of the Rotary Club of Montego Bay East at the Coral Cliff in Montego Bay.
Officials from the Ministry of Finance said they were aware of the proposal for a health plan in relation to taxes but that discussions had not been finalised.
They noted that the fund could not be created from the existing taxation on these goods as the special consumption tax on cigarettes and liquor goes to the consolidated funds.
Minister Junor said the Ministry had examined and dismissed other alternatives, including a national health insurance and returns from the national lottery.
These alternatives posed specific problems, he said. For instance, there was no way to ensure continued contribution to a national insurance scheme, he said.
"Initially we would be able to receive that contribution when the man is sick and comes into the hospital but what after he gets better and leaves?," he asked.
He added that returns from the lottery were already contributing to other areas and maybe what they would have to look at is specific periods of allocation for different areas.
"Maybe what we would have to look at is for example allocating returns from the lottery to different areas at specified periods," he said.
Mr. Junor noted that the Ministry was actively putting in place aspects of health reform aimed at improving access, equity, quality, efficiency and sustainability in the public health care system.
"Every Jamaican should at least have access to the basic health care," the Minister said.
