News from the Caribbean as of
|
Send us your
with commentary and opinion on subjects relevant to the Caribbean.
Please include your name, city and country of residence.
Note:
Views and opinions expressed in commentary or opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the editorial
position of Caribbean Net News or its publisher.
Caribbean Net News further reserves the right to edit for brevity and
presentation.
Opinion and Commentary
Commentary: Bahamas government debates a 'free' prescription drug scheme
|
| Published on Monday, November 2, 2009 | Email To Friend Print Version
|
By The Nassau Institute
Well the FNM, not to be out done by the PLP, has taken the first step toward socialised medicine.
We're told the comprehensive plan the PLP had proposed before they were voted out of office in 2007 was found by all concerned to be far too ambitious, and was bound to fail.
So the FNM is introducing socialised medicine, one step at a time. Their first step is a free drug scheme that has been passed in the House of Assembly and is now before the Senate for approval.
Of course, this scheme includes price controls and what amounts to a government take over of the purchasing of the 93 drugs identified through a new government tendering agency and several other government committees to oversee the programme. These drugs will still be sold through the local pharmaceutical suppliers but “managed” by the new government agencies.
To paraphrase Professor Don Boudreaux:
(1) intentions are not results, and (2) to oppose a government program is not necessarily to object to the intentions stated by that program's advocates.
The FNM and PLP clearly believe that (1) if government intends for Bahamians to have universal health coverage, then the result will be that Bahamians actually GET universal health coverage, and (2) anyone who opposes a government program promising universal health coverage is a person who objects to Bahamians actually getting universal health coverage.
Instead of this "take over" of the local pharmaceutical industry by the government, the country should consider vouchers as a way to take care of the poor that need help rather than implementing the failed idea of socialised medicine.
It seems however that there are several business people that think this scheme is a good idea. After dealing with decades of government failure in education and other areas it is no less than appalling that business people would support this idea.
Those in authority are not any more prescient or capable than those in society in general, but as Hayek noted in his ground breaking work, they do possess a Fatal Conceit.
As Hayek reminded the world though: The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.
As the Institute has said before, the present crop of politico's will not be around when future generations have to bear the burden of good intentions run amok. And this is something these "do-gooders" should give some honest thought to.
The Nassau Institute is an independent, a-political, non-profit institute that promotes economic growth in a free market economy with limited government, in a society that embraces the rule of law and the right to private property. | | | | Reads : 391 | | | |
|
|
Click here for Opinion-Commentary archives prior to February 16, 2007...
|
