Minister Marin Walks Back, says “We Cannot Send that Proposal There”
Pablo Marin
According to Marin, the ministry intended to draw one point six million dollars of the three million dollars that make up the N.H.I. reserve. He says that he identified the source for the funding. In a previous interview with the C.E.O. of the S.S.B., Doctor Colin Young, it was made clear that the N.H.I. funds cannot be used for the ministry’s intent. In fact, in his response to the Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister Dean Barrow asserted that the Ministry of Health ought not to make any such application.
Hipolito Novelo
“Was it you as the Minister who identified the N.H.I. reserve fund as the source for the funding?”
Pablo Marin, Minister of Health
“Well yes, I saw that there were some funds available there.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Three million dollars out of which I believe the proposal is for one point six million, more than half.”
Pablo Marin
“Yes. But remember the reserve funds come in the way that the other clinics don’t reach to the standards that they don’t receive that back. We haven’t taken any documents to the SSB or the Prime Minister. It is just trying to see where we can locate the funds which I mentioned that it is the Government of Belize allocating funds for the N.H.I. It is the Ministry of Health paying for medications, for other stuff that the N.H.I. uses. So it is all of us working together for a reason; for a better health system. The funds that we gave or the government of Belize gave for the N.H.I. is from the government from Belize and also the Ministry of Health is allocating funds for the N.H.I. to continue. So it is both G.O.B. which is also the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Health is working on it. So it was only fair in my belief that I can use some funds that will help both the Ministry of Health and the N.H.I.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Dr. Gough, your current C.E.O., was in charge of the N.H.I. fund before he went to your ministry. Did you seek his guidance when he went over to your ministry?”
Pablo Marin
“Remember this proposal I taking nearly about a year and a half that we are trying to get the plans, estimates ready. It was between my previous C.E.O. which was Dr. Figueroa; both of us were looking at it. We had to pay someone to do the plan. We had to pay for the estimates. Everything was done. Dr. Gough just came in. He didn’t see anything wrong also because both of us wanted to see a warehouse that is centrally located.”
Hipolito Novelo
“But I would imagine that he would know that those funds would have not been able to be used for that purpose as the S.S.B. C.E.O. mentioned.”
Pablo Marin
“Well that is why we are trying to see if that can happen.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Well according to the S.S.B. C.E.O. is cannot.”
Pablo Marin
“Well it cannot so we cannot send it anymore. We cannot send that proposal there.”
