Yesterday the Belize Medical and Dental Union withdrew from the task force appointed to review the takeover of Universal Health Services. And the BMDA didn't just walk away form the table, it did so defiantly, calling the task force a farce. But today Health Minister Jose Coye told us it's all a mix up. He says the terms of reference were not clear, and somehow the task force ended up dealing with financial and not medical matters. He told us what he's going to do about it.
Hon. Jose Coye, Minister of Health
"Unfortunately there was a mix-up with the terms of the task force internally and when they met with the doctors and nurses' representative, the agenda had to do with some matters that was not under my portfolio, those were matters for the Ministry of Finance, dealing with the financial aspect of this change. So what they felt that fine, if it is only meant to do that, then there is no need for them to be in it and they have opted out."
Jules Vasquez,
So it is a misunderstanding. Will you work to right that misunderstanding, to correct it and try to bring them back?
Hon. Jose Coye,
"Certainly because I am doing is to ask the nurses and the doctors' representative to stay in the discussions with us and to express their concerns as to this move and what we can do to address it because it is a health matter. We are dealing with a health situation and certainly we want the benefit of the advice of our healthcare providers and that is why we want the consultation process to take place. It is simply a matter of separating the health side from the financial side."
