The Ministry of Health’s overarching theme for the year ahead is a continued battle against the rise in obesity and diabetes.

Jeanne Atherden, the Minister of Health, presented a comprehensive breakdown of her health budget during a late session in the House of Assembly that stretched into the small hours of yesterday morning.

Speaking to a sparse Opposition bench, Ms Atherden said: “The goal is to focus on work that will assure that the obesity and diabetes rates do not increase over the coming years with the long term goal of reversing current trends.

“Each [medical] business unit has been devising its own measures and interventions related to this overarching theme. It is certain that theme will continue over another 12 months as there is much work to do.”

The need to cut costs in the ministry was apparent throughout Ms Atherden’s presentation. Budget cuts were achieved with 15 per cent reduction in operation of expenditure in the fiscal year for the end of March 2015 followed by a 10 per cent reduction in the current year.

Funding for the island’s hospitals was cut by $1,161,000. Hospitals will get $145.67 million compared with $147.86 million last year while the Bermuda Health Council’s budget was cut by $42,000 to $800,000 for the new financial year.

Shadow Minister for Health Michael Scott questioned the cutting of funding for medical grants when the aim of the ministry was to promote the “Bermudianisation of medical profession” in face of a major national nursing shortage.

Shortages in the speech and language therapy resources had put some strain on the team, said Mr Scott.

“Morale among remaining members of the speech and language therapy team has weakened as they attempt to manage the provision of services with reduced capacity.”

Mr Scott also questioned the reduction in funding for kidney dialysis.

“A renal nutritional expert wrote that kidney disease had increased by 30 per cent in the past seven years. That jumped out at me but the renal dialysis unit has been defunded in this budget year.”

Mr Scott suggested that, in light of Bermuda’s rapidly ageing population, the One Bermuda Alliance consider dedicating a separate department or even ministry to address the needs of seniors.

Ms Atherden responded: “I don’t think one wants to talk about having separate ministries because then you start talking about minister salaries and all sorts of other things.”

Ms Atherden mentioned other areas of focus that have been announced previously such as the introduction of harsher penalties for abusing seniors and stricter admission laws for carers through the revamped National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged — now known as Ageing and Disability Services.

ADS provides oversight of the integrated production and functional skills programmes at the K Margaret Carter Centre, formerly The Opportunity Workshop and The Orange Valley Centre, and provide advice and guidance on best practices for accessibility to both public and private sectors, among other services.

There were 16 investigative cases of alleged abuse last year. The residential Care Homes and Nursing Homes Act 1999 is overseen by the chief medical officer while its enforcement conducted by ADS with respect to complaints in inspections.

“In this regard almost all with the exception of one were inspected in August 2015.”

The standards of each home were published on the Ministry of Health website as part of ADS regulatory function.

Ms Atherden described fire safety in the island’s rest and nurse homes as “an area of concern” and said that the Ministry of Health, Seniors and Environment was developing regulations to monitor and enforce compliance.