NASSAU, The Bahamas  - Public Health Nurses will receive the four per cent pay increase they were promised July 1, 2009, and the much discussed health insurance coverage following the passage of the Recurring Accounts Expenses Bill, 2009 in the House of Assembly on Wednesday.

Minister of Health Dr the Hon Hubert A. Minnis said the four per cent payment will be made by the end of November 2009.

Dr Minnis also said doctors serving in the public health sector will also receive the 1.5 per cent increase due to them by the end of November, 2009.

The Health Minister thanked those nurses and doctors who continued to carry out their professional duties while the issue was being resolved, but said he was “saddened” by the fact that some nurses thought the Government would renege on its promise.

“That was never our intention,” Dr Minnis said. “(It is our belief) that the nurses deserved the pay increases and that they deserved the health insurance. It saddened me knowing that, at that particular time, we were not in the financial position to reward you with what you so rightly deserved due to the tough economic times globally.

“This Bill,” Dr Minnis continued, “brings the matters of pay increases and health insurance to fruition.”

Dr Minnis said the Government of The Bahamas, is very much aware, of the “trying times” under which nurses work and the daily challenges they face.

He said it is his anticipation that public health nurses will continue to deliver best care to the Bahamian people.

The Health Minister said the prevailing economic downturn that has negatively impacted regional and global governments and countries, played a role in the delay in accomplishing the Governments intentions with regards to fulfilling its obligation to public health nurses.

He said the Government of The Bahamas worked hard to ensure that Public Service employees did not lose their jobs during “these tough economic times” even though some regional governments are being encouraged to reduce their Public Service by 30 per cent in some instances.

“There is no doubt that these are tough economic times,” Dr Minnis said. “Our Tourism Industry – which provides almost 75 per cent of either direct or indirect employment and is responsible for 60 per cent of our GDP – has been impacted by declining air arrivals even though sea arrivals are on the increase.

“In spite of the problems we face economically, there have been no lay-offs in the Government sector as we know the negative effects lay-offs in this sector would have on our communities and our families,” Dr Minnis continued.

“There also would have been the issues relating to payment of school fees, car notes and mortgages, but as a caring and responsible government, we have continued to create opportunities to ensure that individuals can work and feed their families, even under tough economic times.

“We have governed so that Bahamians would not encounter some of the dramatic problems that are being experienced globally,” Dr Minnis added.