If you pay for something, you may value it more and waste less.
Introduction
I know there is a saying that nothing is free and that someone is paying for it. Some may argue it is the taxpayers’ money and so they are paying indirectly. While this may be technically true, if we had to pay the true value or cost for some of the services we receive, many of us would not be able to afford it.
The Government is subsidizing significantly for many of the services we are getting. I think we are such a blessed country, and I don’t know if we even realize it until we travel to other countries or hear stories from citizens from other countries.
Education up to the Community College in the Turks and Caicos is free. Despite the complaints from some people, we have a generous national health program, generous than most health insurance programs. Imagine hardly putting anything into a program but more than a million dollars is being spent on one person alone. We also have a generous social welfare program where people are getting cash payments from the Government. We have reasonable scholarship and grants programs. We also have a generous grants program whereby you can get cash and technical support to start or expand your business and do not have to repay it. Furthermore, Invest TCI will pay 75% to a service provider for developing a business plan for their clients. The Government has continued to provide duty free on basic good items and now they plan to do the same thing with building materials if you are building five units or more. The Government also has announced a $7million to fund a national credit union. Furthermore, we do not pay any personal or corporate taxes.
It seems no matter what the government does, we are not satisfy and we want more, and we want it for free. Some of us can help ourselves but we still seek help from the various agencies of Government and other people and organizations.
It is time some of us become more responsible and pay for some of the things we want and need. Perhaps if we do, we would appreciate it and value the things more. Also, we may not be wasteful. When you get things for free, you may be wasteful, but I know if you must pay for something, you will not be wasteful.
Suspension of the meals at the dialysis center
Last week, the patients at the dialysis center were informed that the provision of meals will be suspended effective September 4th, 2023. Of course, many of us including myself were very surprised and taken aback as we did not see this coming because from 2010, Interhealth Canada has been providing meals and then recharging them to Government.
The Government’s responsibility is to pay for clinical costs and quite frankly providing meals at the dialysis center are not clinical costs. However, as far as I know the medication will continue to be given to the dialysis staff, free of charge. As I mentioned in introduction, we are a blessed country because many other countries do not provide meals to dialysis patients unless they are an overnight patient in the hospital.
Now some people say that some people are depending on these meals. If that is the case, then this is a sad state. Dialysis is normally three times a week. If those individuals are depending on these meals, then what happened to them on those days they do not have dialysis. If there are individuals on dialysis who are depending on the food that is provided, then they should get help from Social Welfare. They also should bring this to the attention of the Kidney Foundation.
On another note, sometimes things happen for a reason. This suspension will force some of us to bring our own meals or purchase the meals from the hospital.
Conclusion
Many people are enquiring as to why suddenly, this notice came out. Well, I don’t know the answer, but I can only suspect it is due to ongoing arbitration cases and perhaps the legal team has identified this loophole that meals are not clinical costs.
Obviously if the Government wants to continue to pay for the meals, then it is their prerogative. However, Interhealth Canada will not absorb costs in providing meals to the patients as all clinical costs are to be absorbed and paid for by the Government. It is my understanding that the TCIG is paying over $32m a year to IHC for the management of the hospitals.