And in health news, yesterday the Minister of Health threw the KHMH Board under the bus when he said that they needed to "step up" and take responsibility for the management of the hospital. This was after he was asked about the shortages of Midazolam and monitors at the KHMH – shortages caused because the ministry has not been able to procure these supplies.
But Minister Chebat got defensive and threw the blame on the Board, who are not primarily responsible for procurement and have been using their own money to find the supplies wherever they can.
Well, his comments rubbed some of the board members the wrong way and the always outspoken Dr Fernando Cuellar today clapped back and Chebat. He said that the minister's response was a disservice to the CEO, the chairman, and the staff of the KHMH – who have indicated to him that they feel it's a slap in the face.
Dr Cuellar explained that the hospital and the ministry should work as a team, and Chebat is supposed to be the leader. And he doesn't feel he should remind the minister of that role. He spoke to us today via Zoom.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar - Board Member, KHMH
"He said that the board and the management of KHMH should step up which implies that we have not been working or stepping up enough which is quite insulting, saddening, and down right not true. I will want to think that he had a bad hair day, but that doesn't apply to him. And then he also went on to suggest that, like he mentioned a specific number that is given which is disingenuous because that is just a drop in the bucket. We should be a team, the Belizean people need to have a proper team working to improve their healthcare systems, to get us out of COVID, and what happened yesterday was obviously throwing the board and the management under the bus as the cliche would say. Karl Heusner is not a totally autonomous institution and he did mention about the subventions but there have been more expenses and we get out supplies and pharmaceuticals from the Ministry of Health via the Central supplies, and they are having problem getting their supplies, we all know that, but for him to come publicly and throw the members of the board and the management under the bus was not a right thing to do. I begged for some discussion with some other members of the board and there's always this reluctance to buck the politicians head on, let's talk to him, let's invite him, but Mr Chebat more than anybody knows how these things work, we don't need to go over this again. So I am also disappointed that some of the board members are suggesting that we take it easy, but I am not like that. And I don't mind resign today, tomorrow if that is what my actions and talking will lead to. But I am not tolerant of these nonsense."
Courtney Menzies
"Do you feel after last night's comments there's a disconnect between the hospital and the ministry because, like you said, he knows that they are responsible for the procurement of these things, this isn't a responsibility of the hospital's board, so do you feel there is a disconnect?"
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
"How other way that can be interpreted? It's a serious disconnect, which is sad, we should be working together. And we regular citizens should hold our politicians and ministers more accountable for what they say and do. We are the one to be blamed also for these types of behavior."
Chebat also stressed that the ministry provides a 2.4 million dollar monthly subsidy to the hospital, but Dr Cuellar said that isn't even enough to get a working CAT scan. And he added that the situation in the other public hospitals is just as dire.
