THE EDITOR, Sir:

THE ELIMINATION of fees in public hospitals has been met with mixed reactions. The poor are elated, while the economists are asking how it will be paid for. Portia is about 'balancing the book, while balancing peoples' lives. She has not adequately explained how she is going to pay for it. The explanation is that we will find the money - from where?

This is a very important issue and needs to be seriously addressed. The $365 million will leave a deep hole in the budget. The effects will be felt even closer at the feet of the administrators of the hospitals who will be struggling to manage their budgets and will have to face the people directly.

Although this announcement smacks of electioneering and is akin to the Michael Manley announcement of free education in the 1970s, it nonetheless is a great opportunity for us to come together on this issue. We even need to go further and have health care for free for people below a certain income level.

We could easily pay for this if the Government commits to having no cost overruns on any project that they manage. They could also look at the budget with a forensic eye to see where they could cut out unnecessary waste. Thirdly, the economists and the private sector could sit down and decide that they would take a one per cent reduction in their guaranteed interest in government paper that they hold. That interest rate reduction would possibly yield about one billion dollars.

We completely have the means, what we need is the will. The poor have been called upon to make all the sacrifices. It is time the rich step up to the plate and play their part. Let us bring back the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie to our society. Let's see the Government, Opposition and private sector come together on this critical issue and show us how much they care.

I am, etc.,

SHAWN JOHNSON

jamaicanshawn@yahoo.com

Mandeville

Via Go-Jamaica