Dear Editor,
Recently, I was watching the news on local television, and the President was addressing veterans on Remembrance Day celebrations when, given the opportunity, a veteran by the name of Colonel Gomes asked the President why pensioners who had no sickness or illness when they were working cannot claim NIS medical care benefits now that they are sick?
Editor as you are aware, the NIS has a policy or law that if you do not have a particular sickness while you were working, you cannot claim NIS benefits for that same sickness now that you are a pensioner. What hogwash in this age and time! How can such archaic law still be in the NIS statutes?
The NIS should be thankful that a person had no sickness or illness during their working life, which would have put more financial strain on the Scheme; yet now, when that person is old and would have all kinds of complications, the NIS is saying that person is not entitled to anything? Give me a break, NIS! I know many poor people who are in this predicament, and I am calling on this caring Government to change this law, so that NIS pensioners can get some help from the NIS to offset their medical expenses in their hour of need.
Yours faithfully,
Imtiaz Baccus
