Independent Senator Anthony Viera is calling for legislative oversight to ensure transparency for the proposed changes to the Children’s Life Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
Senator Vieira said he supports the proposed amendments, which seek to expand coverage of illnesses from life-threatening to life-limiting. However, he stated that there are some shortcomings.
“As I said at the beginning, I have no problem with the Honourable Minister retaining ministerial discretion, but that should be tempered with Parliamentary oversight through negative resolution. We should strive to align with Commonwealth legislative norms, for example, Jamaica’s National Health Fund, the UK’s Human Medicines Regulations.”
During her maiden contribution in the Upper House, Independent Senator Dr. Desiree Murray said lawmakers must not look back in the next fifteen years and realise they exported the nation’s children instead of strengthening the local healthcare system.
Dr. Murray explained that in 2001, she successfully treated a baby diagnosed with retinoblastoma – a type of eye cancer that is listed in Schedule Three of the Children’s Life Fund Bill.
“She was successfully treated collaboratively right here in Trinidad with a visiting consultant paediatric ophthalmologist, with whom I had trained in the UK, and a local team of dedicated paediatricians. The infant received world-class treatment locally, and today she’s a healthy adult and a mother.”