On Saturday, the Belize Medical and Dental Association will lead a protest through the streets of Belize City. As we've reported, the BMDA objects to the taxpayer sponsored takeover of Universal Health Services that government has agreed to. Today Dr. John Sosa told us what the BMDA hopes Saturday's protest will achieve.
Dr. John Sosa,
"The unions that are a part of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize to join us in a sense to put a little bit of pressure on the Government of Belize to be transparent, to answer our questions as regards Universal Health Services' services, how it will be offered, what plans they have, will it be of benefit to the Belizean populace in general, and of course the other unions may have some other things that they would want to put it. But our general consensus is that we need to get transparency from government on what is happening. All the unions that are part of the NTUCB have said that they will support. To what degree, we are not sure as yet. They should be having a meeting sometime later today and give us an answer. But we hope that they do support with whatever numbers, whatever way they can."
Alfonso Noble,
Are you at all fearful that what you are starting here might be another wild bonfire?
Dr. John Sosa,
"I don't think so. People have more education now. They know more what they really want or they should at this time and we are not really here to overthrow any government, we are here to just ask the government to please tell us what is happening. Tell us with transparency, be honest with us. Tell us what you want, what you want to get done, and let us help you get it done. That is all we want."
Alfonso Noble,
Do you all think this is a effective way of doing that?
Dr. John Sosa,
"Well it seems that unfortunately the government of Belize understands nothing else but a little bit of pressure and this is one way of pressuring them. For some reason they don't voluntarily give up information so we have to try and squeeze it out of them. We hope that many people who have nothing to do with unions come to the demonstration, to the march, to the rally, to show us support. That is all we wish for. What we want is that the UHS Services be open to the general public in whatever way that it can be set up and we have ideas on how it can be set up. We want that if that if the government of Belize pays for something, then the people of Belize benefit from that something - not just a segment of the population but the entire population of Belize because we are the ones who are paying the bills."
As alluded to in the interview, the NTUCB has committed its support to the protest.
