NASSAU, The Bahamas --- Minister of Health Dr. the Hon. Hubert A. Minnis Wednesday challenged members of the Medical Association of The Bahamas to match Public Health officials’ efforts in the Get Well Bahamas programme.

Dr. Minnis said the need for continuing and advancing government’s agenda for health prevention and promotion programmes “cannot be over-stressed” and demands the “combined and sustained effort of all health services providers.

“Given the interest in preventing disease, optimising our healthcare resources and reducing the costs of healthcare displayed by the Medical Association of The Bahamas and other professions represented here at this conference, we can make significant inroads in our fight against chronic, non-communicable diseases and other healthcare issues,” Dr. Minnis said.

“Healthcare must be accessible and affordable to all,” Dr. Minnis continued, “and so we, as healthcare providers, must adapt our services to meet the needs of our patient population.”

The Health Minister was addressing healthcare professionals from The Bahamas, Canada, the United States of America and the Caribbean who are in town for the 39^th annual Scientific Conference of the Medical Association of The Bahamas.

Dr. Minnis said while ensuring that all citizens and visitors to its shores, have access to quality and affordable healthcare services throughout The Bahamas is a “fundamental responsibility” of the Government of The Bahamas, the task of providing healthcare has always been a responsibility of leaders – political and/or civic – and is a requirement through the full spectrum of life.

He told the visiting healthcare professionals that The Bahamas government – through the National Insurance Board – implemented Phase I of its National Chronic, Non-Communicable Diseases Prescription Drug Plan which had a prevention and health education and awareness module at its core.

That module is called the Healthy People’s Programme which is being administered by a committee of healthcare professionals and employees of the National Insurance Board.

Dr. Minnis said the ‘Get Well Bahamas Challenge’ was utilised to “jump start” the Healthy People’s Programme by selecting 40 overweight persons with chronic, non-communicable diseases and providing them with a three-month Wellness Programme that included supervised physical activities, lessons on nutrition and proper eating habits and vegetable consumption.

“The prevention of disease is as important as the treatment of disease,” Dr. Minnis said. “The Healthy People’s Programme allows quality projects for wellness activities access to funding once the individual programme has been vetted and approved.

“Every country faces key healthcare issues and Developing Countries – which carry the greatest burden of disease – have the least resources, notwithstanding, healthcare must be accessible and affordable to all.

“A nation’s development comes from the endeavours of its people (and) so the health of our nation, is truly the wealth of the nation,” Dr. Minnis added.