NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville yesterday assured the Bahamian people that full rollout of its free COVID-19 testing program is coming in the next couple of months.
Though there have been challenges, Darville said the government is testing various digital platforms to facilitate it.
“We made it clear that free testing is not something that you just roll out,” Darville told the media.
“There are a lot of challenges associated with it and there has to be a digital platform in order for it to be handled effectively in real-time, and so, what we are doing is testing a lot of digital platforms, trying to find the one that is best for what we want to do.
“But the Bahamian people can rest assured that free testing will become available to Bahamians everywhere in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, as we indicated that by the first quarter.
“Give us a little bit more time.
“We don’t want to roll out something and find out there is a lot of glitches.
“We need to make sure the system works and it works effectively before it is rolled out.
“But we are motivated to do it and we are doing the necessary steps in order to get it done.”
We are motivated to do it and we are doing the necessary steps in order to get it done.
– Minister of Health & Wellness Dr Michael Darville
When prompted on the issue just over two weeks ago, Darville said the government was still working out the details on the program, which was a key campaign promise of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP).
It remains unclear how much the program will cost.
Low or no-cost testing is available to anyone in the United States, including the uninsured, at health centers and select pharmacies.
Widespread testing is believed to provide a more accurate picture of the transmission of the virus.
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