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CCNTV6
  • 5 months ago
While committing their support for the Children's Life Fund Amendment bill, both opposition and independent senators reject granting discretionary power to the Minister to overturn funding denials by the board.
Transcript
00:00Despite committing support for the Children's Life Fund Amendment bill,
00:05concern was still expressed by the opposition and independent benches over certain clauses.
00:11Dr. Amri Brown led the charge for the opposition, asking for the estimated number of children
00:17who will now benefit from the expanded list of conditions.
00:21Every member here knows that with these expansions,
00:24we can anticipate a deluge of new applications.
00:30That is inevitable.
00:33I would say it's welcome because it's a sign that more children, more cases,
00:39would be receiving the required attention,
00:41but it also demands that the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning
00:48would have to make proper provision,
00:51bearing in mind, of course, that we're talking in the mean in U.S. dollars.
00:56He also questioned whether the government will consider local treatment
00:59by local specialists at private institutions for the same conditions outlined.
01:05We've considered foreign care.
01:07We've considered local care by foreign specialists who are coming here.
01:11What about local care by some of our top-level local specialists,
01:19which such may not be available in the public health system?
01:23Dr. Brown says many of the declined cases were based on poor prognosis.
01:28In the opinion of the board, the authority,
01:34the prognosis in those cases was too bleak.
01:39The likelihood of success or survival, success in the treatment or management
01:47was too low to justify or support an approval
01:53and the committal of these funds.
01:58And that's why he questioned.
02:00Why would you wish to take that burden
02:05and now put it, take it from an authority
02:11and put it on a minister, a politician,
02:18appointed by a prime minister?
02:20What is the objective of doing that?
02:24A medical practitioner herself, Independent Senator Dr. Desiree Murray,
02:28supports the bill, but questions the terminology used.
02:32She calls for changing the term illness
02:35to the broader, more inclusive term condition.
02:39Using the term condition ensures that we capture
02:43the full spectrum of health states
02:46that may affect a child's longevity or quality of life.
02:50This distinction matters as it may determine
02:55who is eligible for life-saving, life-extending
03:00or life-enhancing treatment under the fund.
03:05It ensures that children are not excluded
03:08due to imprecise language.
03:11Dr. Murray does not support a fixed list of illnesses.
03:15Also on the independent bench, Senator Francis Lewis says
03:18the unavailability of audited financials
03:21for the Children's Life Fund since 2014 is unacceptable.
03:25Please, and this is not a criticism
03:27of what I'm sure are good people.
03:29But as a legislator with a responsibility
03:32for the public purse,
03:34I have to ask the question,
03:36is the money being well spent?
03:37What was spent?
03:39What does the bank account look like?
03:41How do we handle it?
03:42And the basics of having audited financials
03:46cannot be overstressed.
03:48He says the minister's authority
03:51to reject board decisions
03:52just does not stand up to scrutiny.
03:55The board of the fund is appointed by the minister.
03:59And then that same minister overrules that committee
04:02and jumps, rejects their decision.
04:05I would expect the board to resign.
04:08I would expect that very few persons of integrity
04:12would want to serve on such a committee
04:13because that's bad governance
04:17and being perhaps a little harsh.
04:19But you don't do it that way.
04:21Independent Senator Deerup Timal could not agree more.
04:25Granting unilateral review authority to the minister
04:29can have one or two consequences.
04:33It politicizes individual medical cases.
04:38It may undermine the independence and credibility
04:41of the Children's Life and Act board.
04:45And it opens the door to lobbying and favoritism,
04:49real or perceived.
04:50And in my opinion,
04:53it can always,
04:55because of this flexibility and power of the minister,
04:58it can restrict future possible donations
05:03on the basis of trust and credibility.
05:05He suggests a tribunal be established to consider appeals.
05:10I wish you to worry.
05:11Rupner Rai in TV6 News.
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