Reinaldo Silvestre, the man known in Belize as Dr. Reinaldo Casteneda. Did he or didn't he have a license to work as a doctor in belize? That's the question that's been bedeviling the public after the Friday night's conflicting claims form the chief administrator at the KHMH Dr. Alvaro Rosado and the chairman of the Belize Medical Council, Dr. Carl Meggs. On Friday night, Meggs flatly rejected Rosado's claim that the imposter had been licensed by the Medical Council. Meggs asserted instead that he had never been given a license to work at the KHMH. Well today, the KHMH provided proof that Dr. Casteneda was duly licensed by Meggs's Medical Council. Medical chief of staff Fernando Cuellar told us why Meggs is wrong:
Dr. Fernando Cuellar - Medical Chief of Staff KHMH
"I must differ a bit from that story because in front of me I have a document which grants doctor Reynaldo Castaneda, the person in question, one year provisional registration to work at Karl Heusner between June 2001 for the next calendar year. So we do have a council registration grant that was given back in 2001for doctor Reynaldo Castaneda."
Jules Vasquez
"He has a diploma, a pair of diplomas, you've seen them. From your experience in the medical field do these look authentic? Would you looking them over say that they are actual, real?"
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
"I don't see the necessary seals that myself, my own diplomas have had to have gone through. So in a nutshell, to answer your question, and not to sound evasive, yes they could be some questions about the diplomas. But again that's not my responsibility."
Jules Vasquez
"Now you worked with him in the A and E between June of 2001 and April of 2002 how would you assess his performance?"
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
"Well his work at the emergency department was that of a general practitioner, as a medical officer, that means that he is under supervision most of the time. There was no problem with his performance at that level."
Jules Vasquez
"Had you seen any demonstrable incompetence in those basic duties such as stitching?"
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
"No, No, No. For minor lacerations and cuts that one, a medical officer, would take care of there was no major problem noted there with stitching of cuts and lacerations and so forth."
Speaking with us this afternoon, Meggs said he could not find that stamped, signed letter in his records and was waiting for it to be faxed to him by the KHMH.