Prime Minister Perry Christie said National Health Insurance will be strengthened with a fund of about $30 million to cover catastrophic illnesses.

His comments came during yesterday’s NHI Enrolment Phase, launched at the Enoch Beckford Memorial Auditorium.

“We decided to commit $24 million annually with the knowledge that it might be $28 million or even $30 million,” Mr. Christie said.

“But under established criteria, to be able to meet some of the challenges of catastrophic illness where the doctors concerned in operating this programme will be in a positon to determine who is eligible for access to that fund.”

As of yesterday, Bahamians can select, from a list of choices, their preferred healthcare provider to be used under the NHI plan.

Right now, the number of registered physicians exceeds 60 and is expected to increase.

Mr. Christie became one of the first 300 Bahamians to enroll yesterday morning.

“It is for me to say that healthcare should be for everyone and this is a historic achievement for our country and more importantly for our Bahamian people,” he said.

Notwithstanding this however, Mr. Christie also noted that this phase of national health insurance comes at a time when The Bahamas is said to be one of the sickest countries in the region.

One of the many reasons that led to staggering healthcare bills for more than 200,000 Bahamians reportedly without private health insurance.

“They say that The Bahamas is the worst off in the regions of diabetes, it speaks of us being very high in non-communicable diseases and it has to do with our lifestyles,” he said.

“I say those things by way of indicating that notwithstanding the advent of National Health Insurance, there will have to be parallel programmes taken on both by the education system and our school children, by the adult population of The Bahamas toward being better prepared in taking care of ourselves to avoid the health challenges we continue to have.”

Outside of enrolment online, individuals may enroll at three physical locations in New Providence.

Locations include the Cotton Tree Plaza on Bernard Road, Fox Hill, and the Enoch Beckford Memorial Auditorium on Carmichael Road between the hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and the New Providence Community Center on Blake Road between the hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Family islanders are asked to contact their local NIB offices.