by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada
- National Health Insurance has new logo
- Winning design by Trellson Charles from St Patrick
The National Health Insurance (NHI) has a sophisticated new logo that encapsulates the significance behind its implementation. The NHI Secretariat officially unveiled the logo designed by 21-year-old Trellson Charles from St Patrick, on Friday, 25 January 2019.
Prestyn High-Schrol of Laborie Menonite Primary School won the schools’ category. The competition launched in October 2018 was open to all schools and the public. The design is an abstract of a tree with green leaves in a bowl of water with the letters NHI inscribed on the front. Both symbols used, signify life.
Charles the concept behind his winning design which was chosen from a field of 7 design concepts. “The trees are a symbol for life so I decided to work around that in creating the logo and it was just the colours in the bowl, which I eventually settled for the blue to represent water which is another symbol of life.”
The implementation process to institute NHI in Grenada has moved into another crucial phase since the launch of the program in 2017. The Health Economics Unit (HEU) at The University of the West Indies, St Augustine (The UWI), which has been tasked to assist in the implementation process has since developed the list of services included in the basket that will be available in all public and private health facilities. The health economic unit after conducting research over an 8-month period has submitted to government the benefit package which awaits approval from cabinet.
These essential health services include:
- Primary care visits
- Imaging services
- Prescription Medications
- Rehabilitation/Physiotherapy
- Emergency Ambulance Service
- Private and Public Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Care
- Laboratory Services
- Basic Oral Health Care
- Personal Prevention/Screening
- Specialist Care Visit and Psychological Care
Project Head NHI Secretariat Claudette James said the UWI Health Economic Unit has completed the organisational structure for NHI which was also submitted to cabinet. “Cabinet has approved one of the models they have submitted which was a model that the NHI will become a department within the NIS so you would have the board of directors of the National Insurance Board, you would have a deputy director of the NHI and you would also have a deputy director of the NIS.” At present, the UWI Health Economic Unit is working on the revenue generation option that will sustain the NHI programme once implemented. NHIs are usually funded by one or a combination of the following:
- Government contribution
- Employer/employee contribution
- Broad-based taxes
- Co-payments (part payment for service)
“UWI right now awaits key decisions from the government that they may continue their work in the drafting of the legislation and regulation that will govern the NHI,” said James. The NHI Secretariat is now in process of sourcing an IT consultant to identify an IT system which will work with NHI programme.
“A request for proposal (RFP) was advertised last year and right now we are having these ongoing discussions with one of the persons who submitted a proposal. We also completed the RFP for the design and development of a website for the NHI, at present we are currently reviewing and evaluating those proposals.”
The NHI Secretariat continues its sensitisation drive to prepare the nation to embrace the benefits that will be derived from the implementation of a National Health Insurance.