As of Friday, patients at the KHMH needing a CAT scan or any other type of imaging service aside from the usual X-Ray, needed to go elsewhere. Why? Well the Belize Diagnostic Service has opted out of its contract with the KHMH. It's the end of what was once trumpeted as a groundbreaking and mutually beneficial arrangement. That is no more and Keith Swift went to the KHMH today looking for the whys.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It was a rare show of public and private sector partnership in April of 2002 when the Belize Diagnostic Center set up shop inside the KHMH. Well so much for the partnership because last week Belize Diagnostic Center bowed out of the deal and closed up shop.
Dr. Alvaro Rosado, KHMH CEO
“It was initiated by Belize Diagnostic Center…they informed KHMH that they would end the agreement on the 27th of August at 5 o’clock.”
So after 16 months, last Friday Belize Diagnostic Center began clearing out of their state of the art imaging equipment. Gone are those pricey cat scan beds, ultrasound equipment, and mammogram machines and gone too is the convenience for hospital patients. KHMH’s CEO Alvaro Rosado it was good while it lasted but there is a new reality since 5:01pm on Friday evening.
Dr. Alvaro Rosado,
“What has happened since Friday at 5:01 when the agreement came to an end is that as we were doing in the past, up to two years ago, KHMH doctors who need a CAT Scan or any other high end imaging, but CAT Scans mostly, will be refer the patient to one of the private sector providers. That is what was happening up to two years ago, up to April of 2002, and we will now revert back to that until we can make a new agreement to get the private sector to provide onsite service at the KHMH.”
Keith Swift,
Why wasn’t the agreement renewed?
Dr. Alvaro Rosado,
“The agreement was initially an agreement for 10 years with an option to renew after 2 years. Just around the two-year renewal period, just when that was coming, there arose differences between the private sector provider Belize Diagnostic Center and the KHMH. There were differences about the interpretation of the contract and other differences that I really don’t want to go into any details right now. But on the 27th, the agreement came to an end and the Belize Diagnostic Center is in the process of removing their equipment from the hospital.”
So what went wrong 16 months into an apparently lucrative deal? Speculation is that it started with conflicting interests between partners: a private for profit company operating in a public hospital that shows repeated losses.
Keith Swift,
Would you say that Belize Diagnostic Center did not get what they expected? They didn’t get the amount of money expected?
Dr. Alvaro Rosado,
“I really can’t speak for Belize Diagnostic Center. I will say that there were differences with the interpretation of the contract between Diagnostic center and KHMH. And you ask about the money part and I am saying that I am sure that the Diagnostic Center was not in here for their health. They were in here for making money so I would suspect that if income flow for them was not sufficient then they would probably move out.”
They have moved out and now left holding the bag is the KHMH leaving their patients at a distinct and perilous disadvantage since even if they could afford it - they can no longer get a CAT scan or ultrasound inside the KHMH. Even Rosado concedes it is a situation he is uncomfortable with.
Dr. Alvaro Rosado,
“I would say that the biggest reason for us to get the private sector to do the imaging here was protection of our patients; the patients who came in here from a road traffic accident, gunshot wound or whatever. It was for who needed CAT cans and it was not the best thing to be putting them in an ambulance and taking them in a private facility and bringing them back.”
Keith Swift,
But now they will have to jump in that ambulance and go to that private facility. How big an inconvenience will that be?
Dr. Alvaro Rosado,
It will be as big as it was in April of 2002. It certainly is not the best thing, its not what the KHMH would want.”
But right now neither the KHMH nor its patients have that choice.
Rosado noted to 7NEWS that Belize Diagnostic Service was not paying any rent at the KHMH. In addition he says as part of the agreement the Diagnostic Center was supposed to give KHMH customers a 25% discount. Rosado says the KHMH is actively looking to form what he calls another strategic alliance with a private sector provider to enable high end diagnostic imaging to be performed on site at the hospital. He notes that at least one other provider has already expressed interest in picking up where Belize Diagnostic left off. Up to news time we were unable to reach a Belize Diagnostic official for comment.