Opposition Senate Leader Michael Dunkley told the Upper Chamber that Bermuda needed to have an increased focus on preventative health care.

The UBP politician was speaking during a debate on Monday on the Ministry of Health's budget for 2009/10. He said the affordability of health care was a big issue and rising costs meant everybody needed to take action.

"I would like for us all to talk about how we can control this affordability and how as individuals we are doing better in taking better care of ourselves.

" too often we tend to think...rather than keep myself in shape, I can fall back on a good medical society or facility to keep me in shape."

He said Government had given some attention to this, but added: "I'd like to see a more focused input into how we are going to get our society to be healthier."

Junior Health Minister Thaao Dill told the Senate that the number of people currently on the state Health Insurance Plan (HIP) — about 5,000 — would reduce dramatically when some 3,000 seniors switched to the FutureCare programme.

Independent senator Walwyn Hughes, referring to plans for a new hospital, said Government had to be careful entering into a public-private partnership, as they were not always successful. "They are not to be entered into lightly," he added.