COVID 19 – GOVERNMENT SUPPORT MEASURES - MEASURE NO 4: MEDICAL COST SUPPORT

Government will reimburse directly to employers (the cost of?) 21 days of COVID-19 leave for employees who test positive and are certified by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. This will only be applicable to those with less than $30,000 annual income.

Fijians employed in the informal sector and testing positive for COVID-19 as certified by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, will receive

Government assistance of $1,000.

Employers who continue to pay their employees under self- quarantine due to a directive from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, are eligible for a 300 percent tax deduction.

Employees will also be required to take paid family care leave. Anyone not compensated during the 14 day self- quarantine period will be paid $100 by Government. This will only be applicable to those with less than $30,000 annual income.

MY OPINION

The total medical costs, including loss of income for all COVID-19 cases, must be paid for by the Government of Fiji. Discriminating between the people involved on the basis of whether they are employed in the formal or informal sectors, or on their level of remuneration, is again in breach of Sec 26 of the Constitution and cannot stand.

Why do we continue to discriminate? Are we now saying that an employee from the formal sector will attract one type of virus and the employee from the informal sector will attract another type so the treatment will be different and therefore the cost is different?

Just look at the mess that Trump and his administration has made of their handling and try not go down the same path. No decisions should be based on ‘economic’ considerations, it must all be humanitarian based. We must do everything within our power to focus on the treatment of those affected and be prepared for all those others who will become effected and ensure our first responders are all properly outfitted and safe and ensure we have the treatment necessary for all COVID19 patients, and we must provide a ‘sensible’ safety net in funding for every family in Fiji who do not have the means to cover their living costs between now and December so that they all survive the crisis.

But every one must be treated equally.

If there is to be a difference it should be related to those who have medical Insurance cover verses those who do not. For the latter group, the government must cover all costs and if necessary, increase its allocation to the Ministry of Health from Head 50 to cover this.

For those with Insurance cover, if the treatment takes less than six months then Government should pay 50% of the insureds next premium. If treatment takes longer than 6 months, then Government should pay for the patient’s next year’s premium.

Every citizen regardless of their economic or social or health status, MUST BE TREATED EQUALLY!