U.H.S. staff weighs in on proposed take over

While the task force established by the Ministry of Health prepares its detailed recommendations for government’s takeover of financially strapped Universal Health Services, various bodies with an interest in the outcome continue to weigh in with their opinions. Following the Nurse’s Association criticism of the deal last month, on Friday a press release from the Belize Medical and Dental Association claimed that a meeting of its membership unanimously recommended that government acquire one hundred percent of U.H.S. and not the two thirds stake originally announced. Today the hospital’s staff association, representing one hundred and sixty employees of U.H.S., issued a release of its own advocating the original private/public partnership. When U.H.S. could not service over thirty million dollars in government guaranteed loans to the Belize Bank, Cabinet advanced a proposal to pay off the obligation with a large chunk of land at Ambergris Caye and then take two-thirds ownership in Universal in exchange for the indebtedness.