Jagdeo reins in Ramotar over Govt. officials health spending

Jagdeo reins in Ramotar over Govt. officials health spending

Should the PPP win the upcoming elections, President Donald Ramotar is expected to change the policy of government ministers and officials tapping into the consolidated fund to take care of their medical expenses.

That’s according to former President Bharrat Jagdeo who on Tuesday said that he spoke to President Ramotar about the issue and got that assurance after it was revealed that government officials accounted for over $200 million worth of medical bills during the years 2012 – 2013.

The Government has been strongly criticized over the spending especially after it was also revealed that while the ordinary citizen seeking medical assistance only got part of the costs covered, Government Ministers and officials had their full medical bills covered, including a $1060 bill that was sent in by the Minister of Health for an undisclosed medical condition.

Mr. Jagdeo who left office in 2011 said he does not believe that the government and tax payers ought to cover all the expenses for government officials. With reference to one government Minister benefiting from $2.1 Million worth of dental work, Mr. Jagdeo said some medical expenses like that should not be funded by the government.

He said the President has agreed to that a medical insurance policy will be better than the current system which went into operation when Jagdeo was President.

As for his own medical expenses, Jagdeo said since he left office, the government has not paid “a blind cent” for any of his medical expenses. He said he has footed those bills himself.

Last year, the former President was medically evacuated out of the country on a private jet for an unknown illness. He said that bill was not funded by the government.

When questioned about the source of the money behind the payment for the private jet and the nature of his medical emergency, Jagdeo told the media “that’s none of your business”.

Filed: 10th March, 2015

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