Overseas medical treatment |24 April 2018

New piece of legislation to bring transparency to selection process

The Ministry of Health is in the process of introducing a new piece of legislation, the Overseas Treatment Bill, which would provide a legal framework for the patients that the government sends abroad for treatment.

The Minister for Health, Jean-Paul Adam, gave further details about the Bill during a recent press conference.

Minister Adam stated that the Overseas Treatment Bill will give his ministry the legal basis to implement what was already being practiced as a policy and bring transparency to the overseas treatment procedures.

“The idea behind the bill is to structure it in such a way that allows Seychellois to better understand the overseas treatment selection process,” Minister Adam explained.

“Secondly, it will reinforce their rights as their right to overseas treatment will now be engraved in law rather than just a policy.”

“Lastly, the bill will supply the medical professionals with more power to determine which cases are feasible and which are not.”

At the heart of the bill, is the provision for an overseas treatment committee consisting of doctors and medical professionals as well as representatives from other sectors such as the civil society.

Their main function would be to establish whether patients are eligible for state-funded overseas treatment by the conditions of each case.

Patients who are unsatisfied with the decisions will also be provided with the platform for appeal.

Moreover the bill’s provisions also allows for those who seek overseas treatment on their own to apply for refunds.

Minister Adam however added that such applications would only be approved with certain conditions.

“Applications will not be approved if the treatment is readily available locally. Refunds will also not be approved if the patients did not initially provide the public health authority with their diagnosis.”

In a bid to reduce government expenditures on overseas treatment - which totalled at R36 million for 2017 - the bill will only allow a patient to be accompanied by a family member if it is a necessity.

“They would be selected on a means testing basis and their financial capacity. We have realised over the years that much of the money we are spending are actually going towards travel expenses and hotel accommodation when it should be invested into our patients,” Minister Adam continued.

Minister Adam also discussed various other issues during his press conference such as the Hospital Master Plan which is already underway with the renovation of the female medical ward and construction of La Digue hospital.

The master plan will additionally consist of future projects such as a centralised laboratory and diagnostic centre, a revamped oncologist centre as well as a centre that will cater to stroke patients.