DHS Says “It Wasn’t Me!”

On Monday we reported on the death of fifty-five-year-old Hubert Pipersburgh, the Economic Advisor to the Belize City Council, who died as a result of complications related to the COVID-19. As we’ve shared, Pipersburgh’s wife Maria Estella Recinos shared how she desperately tried to medical attention for Pipersburgh. She gave a timeline to provide the sequence of events that led up to his hospitalization after which he passed away. Recinos noted that on March twenty-seventh she called Doctor Manzanero requesting a test for Pipersburgh, but was told he didn’t qualify based on the information provided. During today’s Ask the Experts, Doctor Manzanero said he didn’t get a call and had no such conversation on that day.

Marvin Manzanero

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“I am getting here personal notes in terms of the story that was published in reference to patient number four. I can appreciate one side of the story being told. I am not, I think, in a position to be engaging – I can respect the grieving process of the family. As a clinician, I can tell you that I empathize with that  but once there is due process I will say what was said because there is an allegation in there in terms of me being called and that is not true. That is all I am going to say in reference to that. There was no conversation on March twenty-seventh.”