Delays Due to U.S. Restrictions, but Additional Medical Supplies to Arrive Starting Next Week

Michael Bowen

In a recent interview Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero, told News Five that there had been issues with the procuring of medical supplies, namely swabs and reagents to test for COVID-19. Although most had been paid for, the supplies were delayed by the U.S., which is restricting the exportation of medical supplies and equipment. Doctor Manzanero also confirmed that there were only about two weeks of testing material remaining in stock and there is urgency to replenish. Well, Bowen and Bowen is donating ten thousand COVID-19 testing reagents, which is critical at this time. Those and eight AMV70 ventilators are to arrive in Belize on May eighth and fifteenth respectively. C.E.O. Michael Bowen, after consultation with MOH and the DHS on specs, says the company was able to source the medical supplies from other countries.

Michael Bowen, C.E.O., Bowen & Bowen

“It was tough because of the fact with the U.S regulations right now, they do not allow the re-exportation of these health items because they are being held back by the U.S. health services. So we had to go through different sources—I think these are all coming through Mexico—and it has been taking a little while because of that regulations in the United States.  You can’t even ship through the U.S. actually. So I know it is coming from a vendor outside and it lands in the U.S., they will not re-export it.”

Reporter

“So how much of a headache was that sourcing it from Mexico rather than through traditional channels that you all may be used to?”

Michael Bowen

“Well it wasn’t so much of a headache, but more a delay in time. So these would have been here earlier, if it wasn’t for the fact that we had this difficulty in the re-exportation of it. So some of the items are here and the rest of the items will arrive on May eighth and May fifteenth.”