Column: Rogers On Transparency, Health, More
[Opinion column written by the OBA's David Rogers]
When the Minister of Health, the Hon Kim Wilson, recently urged the public to take part in the 2025 Steps to Wellness Survey, she said, “What gets measured gets managed.”
That statement is true but feels deeply ironic.
As a country, we are still waiting for key health financial reports to be completed and shared with the public. The Bermuda Health Council’s National Health Accounts from 2019 to 2023 remain pending, and the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s audited financial statements from 2021 are still missing.
At the same time, the Steps to Wellness Survey, which is supposed to guide future health decisions, is far behind schedule. Out of the 1,600 survey responses needed for it to be statistically accurate, less than 400 have been collected so far.
I support the value of this survey. It can provide important insights to help improve public health. But here’s the issue, much of this health information already exists elsewhere. Thanks to the Bermuda Health Council Amendment Act 2024, much of the same data could be gathered through health claims analysis and electronic records from healthcare providers. So why are we pushing forward on one survey while leaving basic financial reporting unfinished?
It feels like the Government has lost track of its priorities.
Let’s not forget, the Bermuda Hospitals Board manages $307 million in health funding, and the Bermuda Health Council oversees $736 million in total public and private health spending. This is not pocket change. This is taxpayer money, hundreds of millions of dollars, being spent with limited or delayed accountability.
And yet, the public is expected to trust the system without having the full picture.
As a health policy professional and now as a political candidate, I believe we must demand better.
Here are the key questions every Bermudian taxpayer deserves answers to:
What steps are being taken to ensure that the Bermuda Hospitals Board and the Bermuda Health Council release their financial reports on time going forward?
Why have these important reports been delayed for years, and who is responsible for making sure this doesn’t happen again?
What penalties or accountability measures are in place if reporting deadlines continue to be missed?
How is the Government measuring whether the hospital’s block grant funding is controlling costs and improving health outcomes? Has there been an independent review of the block grant system?
What safeguards are in place to ensure that the hospital’s block grant funding reflects its actual needs for the outcomes we as a country are expecting?
How can the Government move forward with a universal healthcare plan in 2026 without up-to-date, reliable financial data? Have proper risk assessments been done to protect this critical reform?
What improvements are being made to our health data systems to prevent these types of reporting delays in the future? How will data collection and sharing be strengthened?
How did the pandemic specifically disrupt the reporting process, and what is the Government doing to prevent the same problems in future emergencies?
Will the Government commit to regular, timely public updates on healthcare spending and financial performance from now on?
These questions are not just political. They are about good governance and protecting our public resources.
Our health system can only be managed well if it is measured properly, and that starts with giving the public the full, honest picture.
It’s time for transparency. It’s time for accountability. And it’s time for answers.
- David Rogers ran in the 2025 General Election for the One Bermuda Alliance in Constituency 14, Devonshire North West
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