K.H.M.H. doctors rebel against firing of Chief of Staff…
The Ministry of Health appears to be anaemic and its condition has gone from bad to critical. In the past few days there have been allegations of negligence following the deaths of three babies at different hospitals. Today it was the nation’s biggest hospital, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, that came under fire when doctors went on “go slow” for a few hours. At heart are a number of issues, particularly, the firing on Wednesday of Medical Chief of Staff, Dr. Khalid Ghazy. Medical personnel also have concerns over “questionable happenings” under the stewardship of the hospital’s Board Chairman, Ricardo Fabro. Marion Ali was at the K.H.M.H. this morning and has this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The meetings began from around nine with the hospital’s board and Chairman Ricardo Fabro, the Belize Medical and Dental Union and the Minister of Health, Pablo Marin. By eleven-fifteen, President of the Medical and Dental Union, Dr. John Sosa, exited with the results of that meeting.
John Sosa, Pres., Bze Medical & Dental Union
“Most important of which has been the continuing lack of essential supplies, equipment, medications that the doctors have to live with everyday and we’ve become tired after years and years of several administrations and things not improving in our view and things even getting worst. That was the point of the meeting. The second point was the reinstatement of Dr. Ghazy who was fired yesterday and we think that was very unfair. We don’t think that that is the way you do things and he was reinstated during this meeting. They did not give the grounds; it was apparently personal reasons.”
The personal reasons were never given because we waited for Marin to surface, but he never did. Ghazy himself could not say why he was fired.
Marion Ali
“Your own personal views about the letter that you received”
Dr. Khalid Ghazy, Medical Chief of Staff, K.H.M.H.
“Well, the due process was not followed, I was never informed about my performance. I’d never been appraised for all this period of time and I was surprised to get that letter at this time.”
Marion Ali
“What do you think? They said no ground was given, what do you think was behind it?”
Dr. Khalid Ghazy
“I cannot say. After the whole three hours meeting I think it was clear there was miscommunication between the Board and our level because I was never informed about certain issues the board they were asking and I think they cleared it up.”
Marion Ali
“Any grievances you feel now. I mean you’ve been reinstated but do you feel any grievances?”
Dr. Khalid Ghazy
“Well, I hope that this process will not happen to nobody and we have to full out the due process if we want to demote anybody.”
Jacqueline Godwin
“You’ve been reinstated, will you return?”
Khalid Ghazy
“That’s a harder question.”
Ghazy’s firing is just the tip of the myriad of problems at the K.H.M.H. The way contracts have been issued for the provision of supplies is another grey area.
Dr. John Sosa
“Things not going well here at the hospital because of what we perceive to be too many middle men in the system of buying stuff and basically people hustling off the system and we think that can be fixed.”
Marion Ali
“By buying stuff you mean pharmaceuticals?”
Dr. John Sosa
“Pharmaceuticals, equipment, supplies and that’s just a perception because we can’t prove things that you don’t know exist but you get the feeling sometimes that something may be wrong and we want things to be very transparent and very clear. We have asked for the Chairman of the Board to be removed and the minister will decide on that issue. But we have a commitment that we should have a union member on that board and we may have some changes on that board also. I believe we will have it.”
Jacqueline Godwin
“Why are you asking for the removal of the chairman?”
Dr. John Sosa
“Because it’s like a basketball team. If your team is always losing, you don’t fire your twelve players or fifteen players, the coach goes.”
Sosa says one of the immediate changes is have an auditor review the books. The Union also wants Doctor Martha Habet to be placed on the Board of Directors. Ghazy’s firing appears to have been over his attempt to right wrongs and make the system more transparent and accountable. Ghazy’s letter of termination was signed by K.H.M.H C.E.O., Francis Longsworth, who was also scarce to the media.
Aside from the embarrassment of the dirty linen, today’s “go slow” also caused inconveniences for people such as this man, who was supposed to undergo an ultrasound but couldn’t because the doctors at that section of the hospital had walked out. Those who could not receive attention will have to now reschedule for another day. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.
According to Dr. John Sosa, it was agreed that the parties will meet again next month to see what improvements have taken place.
