Column: ‘Truly Sad To See This Side Of Doctors’

October 28, 2019

[Opinion column written by Senator Anthony Richardson]

Some doctors in Bermuda are seemingly angry at the Government’s current consultation on prospective health reforms.

I attended the health plan Town Hall in St George’s on Thursday October 24th and was shocked at what I heard and saw from some doctors.

They attended en masse, without declaring their presence; boo-ed and heckled when Minister Wilson and her team attempted to answer questions from the public; then cheered and clapped in unison when one GP said the following, If they can’t make as much money as they do today, they will all leave the country.

I, like many others, sat there utterly shocked.

In my words, they are prepared to hold Bermudians for ransom!! I thought they were here for the patients and not the money.

What shocked me further was their unwillingness to listen.

The Town Hall, the exchange with the physician can be heard at around 47 minutes in

The Minister and her team must have said half a dozen times that ‘the consultation is ongoing with a range of stakeholders, including doctors, and that how their services are included and paid for has not been decided as yet’.

However, they insisted on speaking and behaving as if it was all a ‘done deal’ and there was nothing more to discuss. They refused to accept facts regarding existing health insurance laws and published data on insured headcounts.

Some acted unwilling or incapable of listening.

It is truly sad to see this side of doctors.

Thankfully, we know that not all doctors are like that as it is only the vocal angry ones whose greed and self-interest drives them to put profit before patients, and to favour fiction over facts.

We know there are plenty of good doctors who don’t share this perspective. They have patient health at the forefront of their minds

I trust that the general public and other doctors will be fully engaged in the consultation process with Minister Wilson and her team. Let us all be constructive with our input. We remain hopeful.that the general public will not be deterred based on the myopic comments expressed by the physicians at the meeting.

- Senator Anthony Richardson

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Comments (9)

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  1. che says:

    Truly sad to see this side of politicians.

  2. sandgrownan says:

    Hey Senator, let’s have the full cost breakdown of your proposals. You know they don’t add up.

    So stop with fake indignation and address the core issue.

  3. truthertz says:

    Saw this post on another website:

    The Civil Service also ‘works for the people.’

    So by Mr. Richardson’s logic they should gratefully accept an imposed pay cut by the Government with no objections. Therefore, Mr. Richardson must’ve been outraged when Civil Servants enacted their democratic right of protest when the former Government tried to extend furlough days a few years back.

    PS: Mr. Richardson this isn’t consultation. Your Government is going to radically alter our healthcare system no matter the objections. So please don’t try and fool us with semantics.

    ——

    This Government needs to come clean asap as to how this new system will work and what will be the impact on our healthcare (costs, wait times etc.). You are planning on ripping our healthcare system apart which will affect 30k private policy holders in approximately one year. This will impact not only the public but businesses.

  4. burt onomics says:

    so where was the heckling? One person asked about money, there were some rumblings but no heckling

  5. Double S says:

    Well based on the PLP’s logic each and every one of their Government representatives (House and Senate) should be doing their public service for free or at least lead by example and significantly reduce your taxpayer funded pay packets.

    If you really want to lead by example demand our $1.2mn back from a certain Dr. that you paid off due to ‘Governmental’ decisions.

  6. rubberman says:

    “Some acted unwilling or incapable of listening.”

    Sounds like the Pathways to Status hecklers. You reap what you sow.

  7. FINALLY!!!
    THE “PERFECT” doctor to be held accountable for something.
    Finally!!
    There is neither perfection anywhere nor is there a perfect practitioner!!

    Hhhmmmm….

  8. Real Deal says:

    Very Few Doctors are for the patients. that is some from a long time ago the capitalism and drug companies have made sure that type of Doctor vanished a long time ago. unless a Doctor is doing their own research their are just doing what they are told\taught. nothing more. i have doctors in my family. if they don’t do what that are told they get into trouble and can lose their license. all those years in schools that are brain washed.

    • truthertz says:

      I would trust a doctor for my healthcare over a politician any day of the week.