By Robert Andre Emmanuel
Minister of Health Sir Molwyn Joseph is proposing new legislation to address the abandonment of elderly individuals at the hospital.
On Wednesday, the health minister told Cabinet colleagues that there were 10 abandoned elderly men and women at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC).
According to the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, while there is currently no legal liability for persons who abandon their loved ones, it is a matter being looked at to ensure that the same relatives do not then
“There is no legal liability, at the moment, that can be imposed upon a child or a relative for abandoning his or her parents or relatives, but that does not mean that they ought not be called to heel, especially where the relative or child is using the resources that are due to the parent each month for his or her own benefit.
One of the ways, Hurst suggested, that the Health Minister and the Attorney General may seek to address the issue, would be to consider using the assets of the elderly persons, such as property, to offset their medical expenses.
“This is especially the case where the elderly parent might be a property owner, for example, and their property is rented. It is only fair that rental payments are used to offset the care of the elderly parent or relative, rather than the taxpayers having to bear that burden while the relative or parent or child pockets the resources of the elderly,” he said.
“Now, you can see the inherent unfairness of engaging in that kind of activity, but the issue is whether we can actually cause liability to move to the child or relative who has some responsibility for the elderly, and I believe we are right at the border of the constitutional guarantees that would protect some of that kind of nefarious behaviour.”
He added that the government will have to look closely at the issue to ensure no constitutional rights were being trampled on.