The Anguilla Government is well on its way to establishing an autonomous Health Authority to run the island’s health services with effect from January 2004.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, October 15, Minister of Health, Eric Reid, said he was convinced that the step would definitely bring about some change to the health services in Anguilla. He noted however that in order to accomplish that change there was a need to have everybody on board in particular the public.

He was grateful to the members of the Health Authority Project Board, under the chairmanship of Dr. Phyllis Fleming-Banks, which he thought did an excellent job in laying the groundwork for the establishment of the Authority.

With the Project Board’s work done, the Minister announced the names of members of a Transition Board to plan the way forward. The group comprises Dr. Fleming-Banks, (Human Resource specialist), Chairperson; Dr. Brett Hodge, Fabian Proctor, (Manager Anguilla Development Board), Wilbert Fleming, (Manager Anguilla Great House), Sanford Richardson, (Teacher at the Comprehensive School); former Principal Nursing Officer, (Yvonne Rey) and Chanelle Petty-Barrett, Crown Counsel in the Attorney General’s Chambers.

“We have given careful consideration to the appointment of these persons because we realise that in Anguilla most times we are accused of filling boards with our friends and what have you,” the Minister said. “This is such a serious business that we made sure that we got people on this board who have a track record as it were; and we know that at the end of the day they got the interest of Anguilla at heart.” He added that he was certain that they would do whatever was necessary to ensure that the Health Authority was a success.”

A Transition Team headed by Trinidad and Tobago Consultant Dexter James has also been appointed and charged with the responsibility of overseeing the smooth implementation of the Anguilla Health Authority. The other team members are Foster Rogers, Permanent Secretary Health; Carl Harrigan, Permanent Secretary Finance; Dr. Aiden Harrigan, Director Economic Planning; Jacqueline Bryan-Niles, Director Human Resource Management; Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake, Manager Primary Health Care; Principal Nursing Officer, Serene Carter-Davis; and Susan Hodge representing the Anguilla Civil Service Association. This team will look at matters relating to the administration of the Health Authority.

Dr. Fleming-Banks said the Health Authority Project Board of which she was a member had worked diligently over the past two years to see what could be done to make Anguilla a healthier place. And she took the opportunity to thank its members who had given dedicated service over the period. She named them as having been Colville Petty, Dr Lowell Hughes, Ann Gumbs, Violet Richardson, Nurse Monique Rey, Alex Richardson, Timothy Hodge, Meridith Gumbs, Dr. Brett Hodge, Calvert Carty, Rhona Richardson, Foster Rogers and the Deputy Chairman Stanley Mussington.

Mr. Dexter James said the Transition Team was now working on six areas: governance issues, health planning and health financing, human resources matters, legislative framework and communications. He explained that his team was required to work with the Transition Board in appointing the executive management teams comprising the Chief Executive Officer, Finance Director, Human Resource Manager and the other management personnel. He stated that very shortly his team would be holding a series of meetings with the general public with respect to how it would like to see the health services develop over the next five years.

According to Foster Rogers, the Anguilla Government will fund the Anguilla Health Authority one hundred percent for the time being. “We are estimating that the current cost for running the health services for this year is about 13.7 million EC dollars,” he disclosed. “We anticipate that next year it will be a slight increase of about 14 million EC dollars and the Government of Anguilla will fund that amount for the Health Authority to function.”

He said that in addition to a fee structure and regulations, there were a number of other financing mechanisms being look at to sustain the Health Authority. He added that one of the options was a National Health Insurance system.

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