NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 13, 2018) — Members of the public utilising services at the Alexandra Hospital are urged to pay their bills in a timely manner especially as the Ministry of Health has devised systems already in place to assist.
Hon. Hazel Brandy-Williams, Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration made the call at a sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly on December 06, 2018.
“We are admonishing persons that when they access service at the hospital to kindly make a special effort to pay their bills on time.
“If they cannot in anyway pay the full amount then we have payment plans that they can enter into and so at the end of the day, they will be able to pay their full cost for using the services at Alexandra,” she said.
Mrs. Brandy-Williams noted that a collection system has been implemented in an effort to collect outstanding dues owed to the hospital over the past seven years.
“We have instituted a robust collection system at Alexandra. We are trying to collect some outstanding debts that we have on our books…
“Based on the new system that we have put in place, we have seen a number of new initiatives being put in place in terms of collection, and so we have seen most of our outstanding debts collected,” she said.
The Health Minister noted that although no new fees would be introduced at this point, the system is a work in progress and two persons have already been assigned to the unit.
She expressed hope that in 2019 a full-fledged Collections Unit will be established because it is believed that once everything falls in place, the hospital would be able to collect all outstanding amounts and simultaneously remain current with its bills.