On the agenda for tomorrow's House Meeting there are 10 new bills whose sole purpose is to sidestep the position of the Director of Health Services. You'll remember that Dr Marvin Manzanero was the face of the pandemic last year, but after catching COVID and returning in February of this year, he was removed from his office and placed on administrative leave while still bearing the title of Director of Health Services.
No allegation of misconduct was ever proven against him, but Dr Manza has remained in an administrative silo - locked off from all his core duties. But after these bills are made into law, there will be no DHS post, and in its place there will be two new posts with new appointees.
It seems like a lot of time and energy to bring these side-stepping bills to the House, considering other issues affecting the country, but today when we caught the the prime minister emphasized that this isn't at all about Dr Manza, but rather it was their plan from the start. In fact, as he put it, Dr Manza isn't even THAT important.
Courtney Menzies:
"There is a raft of legislation that seems to be an attack on Dr Manza, just to remove him from that position."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That is absolutely rubbish. Anybody that has seen that, it has nothing to do with Dr Manza. If you are to look at the discussions that we had before the election, we had already decided that we have to break up the office of the director of Public Health because that post has grown so much that it is impossible for one man to do. You're looking at hospitals, you're looking at the drugs that are coming in, you're looking at the nurses and the doctors and the opening of all the hospitals, both private and public. It's way too much. You're looking at public health. It's way too much for one person. So the idea is to be able to have the breaking up into two areas so that then we can provide a better service for the Belizean people. I'm sorry, but Dr Manza is not that important."
Reporter:
"So what was he doing during this time?"
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I think you need to ask him, I can't answer that question."
Reporter:
"So he will be removed effectively and go somewhere under the Ministry."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well, what is going to happen, that post is going to be abolished, and two new posts are going to be appointed, and who is going to be appointed, I think you need to check with the Ministry of Health, and not myself."
