Did Doctor Manza Consider Resignation?
Marvin Manzanero
As you know, on Wednesday, there was a report that Director of Health Services Doctor Marvin Manzanero had resigned. While that was promptly denied by the government via a press release, there have been lingering questions about what really transpired at the meeting of the National Oversight Committee, on Wednesday. Just before news time, we spoke to the DHS on the matter in light of the controversial SI 134 which criminalizes the DHS if he fails to provide confidential information on persons who test positive for COVID-19. Now, Doctor Manzanero, who has been the face in the fight against COVID-19, has never provided the names of persons when asked. So did he, or did he consider resignation? Well, that is what we asked him late this evening.
Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services
“What was being presented to the NOC is my situation in terms of what the SI represented and what situation I think needed to be addressed from my end and that we were having difficulty and I said not only as Director of Health Services, I think the technical advisors and senior management in terms of what the SI represented. So we got an opportunity to get an audience in terms of being heard and I think the agreement as the press release later on in the day said, is that we were given how we can go about as a Ministry of Health ensuring that that objective that the SI intended to carry out can still be met in tandem with the police department.”
Duane Moody
“Sir, so the question is: did you threaten with resignation?”
Dr. Marvin Manzanero
“I don’t know if threat is a word that I would ever like to use in terms of you not being in…I mean you can disagree, you can place your position, but I don’t think the resignation term came about. I said what my personal and professional position was and we were given the opportunity to go back and review what is in there and give the option.”
Duane Moody
“Sir if the NOC had not agreed to revising the SI, would you have tendered the resignation then sir, given the fact that it would seem to go against what you believe should happen as a professional?”
Dr. Marvin Manzanero
“Ummm, there is three options that I think would have been available from a personal vantage point. I do not think I would have done it there because I think there is a process that needs to follow and I am mindful of following processes and situations. In my meeting that I had with my staff, regional managers and technical advisors, I had said I will come back to you, based on the discussion in NOC and see where we go from there. I don’t…”
Duane Moody
“But it was an option?”
Dr. Marvin Manzanero
“I have a particular stance of how things I think should be handled. And beyond the SI, Duane, I think I have always been clear to everybody how my thought process is. And not only because of the SI, you know when things, when you are not contributing to any particular process then if there is a need for you to go anywhere else—as I have always said wherever I go—then that is a process that needs to be taken. I had a clear note of what I was going to say to NOC.”
