The National Health Secretariat yesterday, advised that the draft NHI bill will be released to the wider stakeholder community on January 25, 2016, exactly one week after the official registration of NHI.

The bill is designed to pave the way for all legal Bahamian residents to be able to afford quality health care.

According to the secretariat, the legislation is presently undergoing final revisions by the legislative team, following focus groups consultations with members of the medical community and other key stakeholders.

Once the legislation is released, the NHI secretariat will advise where the public can access it.

The implementation of NHI has gone under much scrutiny recently, especially from the Bahamas Insurance Association, who has raised much concern about the feasibility, execution of the plan, and the adverse effects the plan may have on private insurance stake holders.

Recently, Free National Movement Candidate, Dr. Duane Sands commented that NHI is “nothing more than a concept.”

He also noted that legislation for NHI was not yet in place despite the roll out of NHI which took place in the form of registration, this past Monday.

According to Sands, it is illegal for individuals to register for NHI without the legislation being in place.

The FNM candidate also went as far as to say the government has not yet revealed a cost for the plan, because it “has no idea what that cost is”.

However, the NHI secretariat is preparing to facilitate a series of meetings to allow each stakeholder group to voice any concerns they may have regarding the content of the bill.

In a press release, the NHI Secretariat said it remains committed to its cause and stressed its availability to assist the public with any matters or concerns relating to NHI.