Minister Wilson On Throne Speech Initiatives

Universal health coverage continues to be a key objective, professional registration process for health professionals will be streamlined as the Bermuda Health Council transfers its systems to a blockchain-enabled online platform, and the Government will  introduce pesticide safety regulations, Minister of Health Kim Wilson said.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Minister Wilson said, “Good afternoon. The health and well-being of the people of Bermuda remain a priority for this Government.

“In this year’s Throne Speech, we have outlined some key initiatives that will provide more significant support to our citizens.

“With modern technology, we will better deliver expert care for Bermuda. With that in mind, the professional registration process for health professionals will be streamlined as the Bermuda Health Council transfers its systems to a blockchain-enabled online platform.

“The current process requires documents to be scanned into a third-party platform and sometimes printed so that board members can meet to review these paper files.

“This new platform will allow health professionals to store the documents required for registration in a secure electronic or digital wallet. The wallet will store things like health professional’s credentials, resumes, continuing education information, work history, etc., all controlled by the health professional. The health professional will be able to submit these items electronically onto the registration platform, and pay for the registration either through a bank account or through cryptocurrency. This means there will be no more need for paper documents, and no more re-certifying documents that were submitted previously. This will reduce the repeated and annual retrieval of registration documents, and allow statutory boards to meet virtually and view verified electronic documents online.

“In addition, the Health Council will enhance its website and create a consolidated listing of healthcare businesses with their own online profiles. The profiles will allow businesses to update their service offerings and provide online verification of credentials. Businesses will also be able to make online payments for regulated equipment and licences.

“For consumers, the profiles will facilitate better transparency regarding services and credentials. Also, with added mapping functions, consumers will be able to quickly find services that meet their needs closest to their homes.

“The health professionals’ and business registration platforms will give the Health Council the ability to extract information to develop reports that can be used for policy-making and to complete a comprehensive health workforce planning strategy.

“Universal health coverage continues to be a key objective for the Ministry and Bermuda. We recognise that many aspects of healthcare reform will take time to implement; however, during this Session legislation will be advanced to support data collection as a necessary first step for introducing controls around medical copayments required of the most vulnerable. The intention is to collect the data necessary to make informed decisions around what steps can be taken to assist the most vulnerable in our community. The UHC journey will take some time, but it should be possible to assist those most in need in some way before the full scheme is rolled out.

“As stated in the Throne Speech, Bermuda’s children present the most precious opportunity for the continued success of our homeland.

“Every child’s First 1,000 days of life, including the mother’s pregnancy up to the 2nd birthday, is one of the most critical formative and vulnerable periods for mental health and well-being. It is a period of intensive brain development, first relationships, and psyche formation. Experiences during this crucial period impact the lifelong trajectory of health and wellness, setting the foundation for a person’s cognitive, emotional and physical development.

“The Government will embark on a First 1,000 Days project to optimise this critical period of life for all families. Support for our future children is support for a future Bermuda. But babies cannot speak for themselves during this period of critical development. So, we will work with parents, caregivers, families and educators to give every child the best start in life. Last year’s introduction of maternity benefits improves access to prenatal and antenatal care for all women regardless of insurance coverage and will reduce financial stress for expecting mothers and, by extension, the stress to the developing child.

“This project builds on that and is a commitment to a wellness model of care versus an illness model, which is key to fostering resilience for families. It involves mapping all the touch points of that first 1000 days, starting with pregnancy. We will map and document the strengths in our programmes and identify the gaps in services, disparities and inequalities with the aim of making recommendations for improving service integration, systems, policies and collaboration to achieve better outcomes. What we put in place will depend on what we start with, so we will begin with this mapping exercise.

“The First 1000 Days is of acknowledged importance worldwide. It is part of the World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health and the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative. Investing in the start of life is economically, socially and psychologically vital to a prosperous society.

“During the upcoming Session, the Government will also introduce pesticide safety regulations under the Pesticide Safety Act 2009 to reduce cancer risk.

“Provisions in this Act enable oversight of all pesticides to prevent contamination of the environment, food and water while contributing to efficiency in agriculture, and protecting the public and pesticide applicators from cancer risk.

“The primary objective is to bring the Act into full force so that:

• Human health and the environment are protected through improved management of the risks associated with pesticides;

• Standards of pesticide use are improved, and pesticide application practices are made safer and more efficient and effective in all settings; and

• All commercial pesticide application methods are considered and adequately regulated, including, but not limited to backpack, boom spray, basal cut-stem treatment, wick-wand methods, and novel pesticide application methods such as aerial spraying by drone.

“Regulations to be made under the Act will do the following:

• Create a process to designate categories of pesticides (general, restricted and prohibited) and communicate to the public which pesticides have been so designated;

• Prescribe conditions for applying pesticides, including in the environment and on produce to be offered for sale / marketed as pesticide-free/friendly;

• Recognise approved training schemes for pesticide applicators;

• Create a licensing system for regulating commercial and high-risk application of pesticides;

• Create standards for the transport, handling, storage and disposal of pesticides;

• Establish record-keeping requirements for importation, sale, use, transport, handling, storage and disposal of pesticides; and prescribe penalties for applying pesticides commercially without a licence and/or outside of the approved conditions of pesticide importation.

“In the past year, of necessity, the Ministry’s focus continued to be on COVID-19 and our pandemic response. In recent weeks and months, our focus has shifted to our new normal. While the pandemic is not yet over, our public health emergency is drawing to a close.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many dedicated healthcare workers and all those who were on the frontline and worked tirelessly to help us manage the pandemic. Thanks to their efforts, we are definitely in a better space right now.

“We’ve had a tough few years, and we’ve come a long way. I am optimistic that our initiatives in the next Legislative Session will improve health outcomes as we work towards healthy people in a healthy community.

“Thank you.”

#2022ThroneSpeech #Health

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