The Ministry of Health has given in to calls for a review of the no-user-fee policy in public-health facilities, but scrapping the controversial two-year-old scheme is definitely not on the cards.

"No, not at all, it's not, it's not even an option," Health Minister Rudyard Spencer responded when quizzed about whether the no-user-fee policy would be scrapped.

The decision to review the no-user-fee policy was made yesterday following a meeting involving Spencer and the opposition spokesman on health, Dr Fenton Ferguson.

The Opposition has repeatedly argued that the no-user-fee policy was ill-advised and should be replaced with a scheme whereby adults who can afford to pay are made to do so.

But Spencer seemed cool on the idea, even as he indicated a desire to have persons with private health plans pay their way.

The health minister said talks had already started with the private companies to access their data to capture persons with health insurance who turn up at public hospitals.

Negative impact

Yesterday, Spencer admitted that removing user fees had negatively impacted the health sector, but he was at pains to point out that the problems were not insurmountable.

"If we have a limited amount of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians and you have more people seeking services from the same number of people, we will have problems," Spencer said.

In an attempt to solve the problem of the staff shortage, the minister noted that the University of Technology will be training pharmacists, while the ministry will be hosting training sessions for pharmacy and dialysis technicians.

"There are certain things that we would only realise after we roll out (the free health care) and having realised it, what is important is that we are taking steps to correct it.

Spencer was desperate to avoid any argument about the Government's failure to anticipate the additional challenges which the no-user-fee policy would have on what was an already ailing health sector.

nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com