The Government says it is “disappointed” by Together Gibraltar’s recent statement on LFTs which “implies” that TG Leader, Marlene Hassan Nahon’s “assumptions make for better public health advice than the advice of the Director of Public Health.”

A statement from the Government follows below:

The public will be as disappointed as the Government by Together Gibraltar’s latest statement  which implies that Ms Hassan Nahon’s assumptions make for better public health advice than the  advice of the Director of Public Health.  

The fact is that the unique position of Gibraltar, in contrast to that of other, much larger countries  that Ms Hassan Nahon arbitrarily compares us to, means that these other nations purchase much  higher quantities of tests and so can achieve better prices. Such is the basic principle of economies  of scale. Furthermore, to use her own example, in Spain multiple official government documents  detail the procurement of millions of LFTs for prices between €3.10 (January 2022) and €4.50  (November 2021) per test. The price cap to the final consumer of €2.94 is fixed on the basis that the  tests are subsidised by the Spanish government. In Gibraltar, tests are FULLY SUBSIDISED and are  available FREE OF CHARGE to any entitled person, carried out by the GHA. The only person who  will need to pay for tests is a person who wishes to test outside the auspices of the GHA.  

As previously explained, the GHA purchases high-quality tests at the best possible price. Basewell  act as the agent for the importation of these tests FREE OF CHARGE to the GHA, as they have been  doing from the start of the pandemic when the tests and PPE were otherwise impossible to procure  from other sources and the principal of Basewell was able to procure these tests when others were  unable to do so. The GHA is constantly seeking the best price for the taxpayer, but for the highest  quality tests, and will continue to do so. If better prices become available, they will, of course be  accepted. The Government has been totally transparent on this point, as it always is, despite being  repeatedly accused of the contrary by opposition parties, and provided the information when asked  by local media. The only delay was in the compilation of that information, as it required the input of  multiple departments, with staff already stretched to the limits. 

It is therefore wrong for Ms Hassan Nahon to pretend to conclude that Gibraltarians must pay 500- 800% mark-up for a test. The truth, known to all, is that in Gibraltar tests for COVID-19 are  TOTALLY FREE ON THE GHA unless someone CHOOSES to pay a private service provider. The  only way someone will pay for a test is through their own choice. The only exception is the requirement to test on arrival at the Rapid Test facility located outside the Gibraltar International Airport, at a cost of £25 for GHA cardholders and £30 for non-cardholders. It is exactly the same as  choosing to pay for private medical care instead of attending via the GHA. It is not within the  Government’s remit to dictate to private service providers the prices that they can charge for their private medical services, especially when the government is providing the equivalent service at no  charge at all.  

The most concerning aspect of Ms Hasson Nahon’s tirade, however, is her insinuation that her own  amateur assessment is of greater scientific value than the advice of the Director of Public Health.  The Government strongly maintains that the only person qualified to make public health decisions  for Gibraltar is the Director of Public Health. It is not for politicians, much less for someone as ill informed on such issues as Ms Hassan Nahon, to question that advice simply because it does not fit  their agenda. The advice of the Director of Public Health remains that Gibraltar is best served by  continuing a state-run system of COVID-19 testing which enables us to better record the spread of  the pandemic through our community but that this will likely change in the future in coming weeks  or months.  

Minister for Health, the Hon Samantha Sacramento, said: ‘True to Ms Hassan Nahon’s tradition, she  has twisted, exaggerated and stripped the context from the situation in order to support her  unsustainable and illogical arguments. All she achieves is to demonstrate that she just doesn’t  understand the difference between a mark-up and a subsidy. The truth is that everyone who resides  and works in Gibraltar has free tests available to them under the auspices of the GHA. This  Government stands by the expert advice of the Director of Public Health in setting Gibraltar’s  strategy for testing. Ms Hassan Nahon’s amateur and egotistic tirade is more fitting of an internet  conspiracy theorist than a serious politician.’