HEALTH Minister, Mr Rudyard Spencer, boasts that the Government’s decision to abolish user fees in the public health sector has “saved the people of Jamaica disposable income in the region of $5.7 billion” since the policy was implemented in 2008.

It’s the latest salvo in the Government’s robust defence of a policy, which critics claim is threatening the viability of an already critically under-resourced health sector.

As we all should be aware, “free” health care remains in place despite budgetary constraints as tight as any to face Jamaican governments in recent times — with multilateral lender, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), metaphorically breathing down the neck of the Minister of Finance, Mr Audley Shaw.

Indeed, as we understand it, some who should be accessing certain types of surgeries and procedures under the current public health care system are unable to do so since the relevant equipment/material/expertise is not available in public hospitals because of resource constraints.

Often, such services are available in the private health sector — at a cost. And those who can afford it willingly pay for it. Though they, too, are able to access free health care in the public sector whenever it is available.

This newspaper believes that those people who can afford private fees should not be able to access public sector services free of cost. They should be required to pay.

A more selectively administered “free” user fee policy would surely ease the resource pressures which now exist in our public hospitals and health centres.

We are reminded of the ongoing user fee debate by yesterday’s Sunday Observer report of 14-year-old Rickoy Jones whose deformed legs are steadily reducing his ability to live a normal life.

The condition involves a congenital shortening of the Achilles tendon. It causes pain for the teenager when he walks and we dare say there would have been a few wet eyes for some who read that it has so far frustrated the youngster’s dream of playing his beloved sport, cricket. Sadly, too, he is the butt of jokes and teasing by cruel children.

We are told that surgery to correct the deformity could be carried out for free in the public health care sector but ‘tendon graft’ which is central for the Achilles Tendon Lengthening operation has to be bought.

Three years ago, plans for surgery to be done at the University Hospital of the West Indies were put on hold since the family was unable to come up with $82,000.

Such stories as this one involving young Master Jones are not unusual. They are to be found regularly in the news media as well as in less formal communication forums.

In today’s Observer, for example, there is the story of teenaged cancer patient Shanna Campbell whose family has to be appealing for help to cover her medical expenses despite the free user fee policy. We would suggest to Mr Spencer and the Government that a way has to be found, within the ambit of the public health system, to adequately provide for those such as Master Jones and Miss Campbell.

There is no justice in a system which provides loopholes for the better off in our society to be cared for, free of cost, while some among the very poor are denied because of resource shortcomings in the very same public sector.