Medical and Dental Union still battles K.H.M.H. Board
Doctors say they have reached the end of the line in the three week old dispute with the Board of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital over corruption charges. On Thursday the doctors walked away from the negotiations when the Board introduced what they considered unacceptable counter proposals to the effect that no action was to be taken against the Board members. The doctors who make up the Belize Medical and Dental Union are now calling it quits and have decided to stop all meetings with the Board. This decision was arrived at this morning and News Five sat down with representatives of the B.M.D.U. to find out the current state of play. The doctors say they are putting the matter in the public domain and they have plenty support at that end.
Dr. Adelita Zaiden, Union Executive, B.M.D.U.
“The Memorandum of Understanding, they gave us a counter proposal and the counter proposal was—we weren’t in agreement with it. So we just decided to stop the mediation and that’s what we informed everybody this morning.”
Marion Ali
“Stop the mediation means stop the discussions…”
Dr. Adelita Zaiden
“…completely with the Board.”
Marion Ali
“So then how will you go forward from here in trying to resolve the dispute?”
Dr. Adelita Zaiden
“Well, we’ll leave that up to the public. They’ll have to decide.”
Marion Ali
“What are you expecting from the public?”
Dr. Adelita Zaiden
“I don’t know, it’s the public that will decide. We doctors can’t do anything else. We can’t do any kind of industrial action, can’t, so we’ll leave it up to everybody else.”
Dr. Beatrice Thompson, Union Executive, B.M.D.U.
“The members know that we have to go work, we going to work and we’ll work. It is up to the public now, if they want to continue with due process. The doctors have given due process its chance. If the public still wants to continue with due process and go on with the legal way of doing things, they have every right to it and do whatever. But just as what I mentioned, don’t come expecting much more than what Karl Heusner can offer right now because that is all we have. So if you come to Karl Heusner and there’s no aspirin, don’t wring it out ah the doctor. If the public accepts it, that is what we deserve; that is what we will get. If the public puts pressure on the government, then they can bring changes.”
