Talks between the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital board and its staff collapsed yesterday and tonight negotiations remain deadlocked –with neither side budging towards conciliation. Attempts at mediation broke down at the Biltmore yesterday when the doctors walked out of the room after they heard the board’s counter-proposal to their 15 point memorandum of understanding. The doctors say the counter-proposal was unacceptable and the KHMH Board accused the board of negotiating in bad faith. This all occurred late yesterday evening and while you heard from both sides – today we put it into perspective.
Dr. Gary Longsworth, KHMH CEO
“The BMDU abandoned the mediation process refusing to negotiate on even one single item of their draft MOU.”
Dr. John Sosa, BMDU President
“I don’t think we abandoned the process. We had a meeting last night with union membership; the membership decided that what we had presented was what we would go on.”
Dr. Gary Longsworth,
“The union representatives presented an ultimatum that the board must accept every point as written by them.”
Dr. John Sosa,
“They came and did some changes afterwards and they presented it and we thought those changes were not agreement with what the union wanted.”
Ivan Williams, Labour Commissioner
“They refused to accept any of the counter proposals. In other words
it is either their proposals or nothing and we need compromise.”
Dr. John Sosa,
“We thought the points that they had put there, I don’t think, in fact I believe I shouldn’t say I know, but I believe and all of us believe they would not go back on it because it included the removal of the CEO, Chairman of the Board, the Financial Officer, prior to investigating and while investigating and we don’t think they would have agreed on it. They took out other points that we thought were important and they kind of modified it to protect the board and we didn’t see that as being honest.”
Dr. Ricardo Fabro, Chairman – KHMH
“This was not about demands and just accepting demands. This was an arbitration process that is caution, you bring forth your stuff and then we will propose our thing to get a memorandum of understand which involves both parties, not just a demand to the board.”
Dr. Peter Allen, CEO – Ministry of Health
“The MOU with the points raised by the board agrees in most substantive areas with those already raised by the union. I know that one in particular
additional point placed by the board was to extend the audit beyond just the finances and into the care for our patients and really the idea for that was to see how we can take the most positive spin on this whole business and make sure that KHMH grows and prospers.”
Dr. Ricardo Fabro,
“You will notice that they are more than reasonable, we have complied with most of their demands that at this point in discussion we could possibly have complied with. Other things need due process and that is why some were not complied to because due process is a legal issue that we have to look at.”
Dr. Gary Longsworth,
“It is clear that the interests of patients are not foremost on the agenda of the union. The board remains committed to a reasonable process to resolve this impasse.”
Lydia Blake, President - Nurses Association of Belize
“This is something major, this is dealing with the public money, it shows were Karl Heusner used to buy things at exorbitant prices, it is in black and white and that doesn’t lie. Somebody is guilty and somebody has to pay and they should act on it now.”
Keith Swift,
Has the board considered suspending the financial controller concerning what the Prime Minister said?
Dr. Gary Longsworth,
“No because the Prime Minister absent a satisfactory explanation then
we should take steps against person or persons responsible for any wrongdoing.”
Keith Swift,
Have you gotten the explanation?
Dr. Gary Longsworth,
“What explanation? What is written in the Prime Minister’s release.”
Jose Sanchez, News 5
“But it has been shown that prices have been inflated. Whose responsible for that? Should it not be the head that should roll?
Dr. Gary Longsworth,
“Those inflated prices need further investigation.”
Dr. Ricardo Fabro,
“We do agree with the Prime Minister’s comment that things appeared to have been purchased at inflated prices, we do agree, but we have said that we are looking into it and none of these points to our present financial director who was not on board as yet and on another instant was away with his family on vacation leave. So that removes him away from that.”
Lydia Blake,
“My nurses now are telling me that we are prepared to go all the way.”
Dr. John Sosa,
“We do not only have the support from the nurses, we also have support from other ancillary staff and we are doing right now is trying to gather as much support as we can that in case things come to a head, the doctors in a sense cannot be penalized because it is the entire hospital and I don’t think only the hospital, the people on a whole who are dissatisfied about the way things are being handled.”
Dr. Gary Longsworth,
“We are hoping that despite the fact that the arbitration has broken down that the doctors and the rest of the KHMH staff will keep that in mind and continue to provide the quality service that the patients deserve.”
The next move will probably be made by Minister of Labour Gabriel Martinez who can appoint a 5 person tribunal to hear the dispute.
