It's been 17 months since one former public officer won a case against the Government, but she says she still hasn't been paid. The former worker, who asked to remain anonymous, says that she developed a respiratory illness from the office she worked at after she was transferred to the Income Tax Department. Though she reached out for help, the Ministry of Public Service ignored her, and her medical bills have been extensive. Now, she's hoping that the Government will finally pay her what they owe her. She came by our studio today.
Voice of: Former Public Officer
"I started getting sick and I went to the first doctor and they treated me. I wrote a letter, because she said I needed to be in a well-ventilated area, Public Service did nothing, they didn't transfer me. I went to two other doctors, they wrote the same thing, another letter to Public Service. And then I ended up in Chetumal, and the doctor told me if you don't get out of there you can become chronic, and that did happen. I ended up going to Merida, being on oral vaccines for about 2 years. And then up to now, I ended up going to a lawyer and I won my case because I couldn't continue working in the office, I got really sick, I almost lost my life in there. And I won my case-17 months, and no compensation from Government. I've been to Ministry of Finance in Belmopan, they have me in a turnaround, I've been to the office where I worked, the head office in Belize City, turnaround and nothing, no payment."
"It's been 7 years without a salary. I almost lost my house, my house came up in the newspaper for sale and it's just been hard without a salary. And having my medication at the time cost $760, just one of the oral vaccines was $90. I had a nasal spray that I used to use that was $115 and I couldn't get it anywhere but Chetumal. Imagine without a salary and having a medical bill of over $650. Every time I go to Merida it's $2,000 I have to take, and then the medication is not something I can buy over the counter, it's something that the doctor mixes and then I have to put it on ice and bring it in with me."
Reporter-
"If you don't get your payment, will you take them back to court?"
Voice of: Former Public Officer
"I was thinking about that, but the first case took almost 5 years to go to court. I mean, will I have to wait another 5 years? I mean, that's just too much time. What I could have done last year with my money I can't do this year because everything has gone up so much."
We did reach out to the Attorney General, who said that he would familiarize himself with the case and respond next week.
