Dr. Musa on New MOHW Posts
The post of Director of Health Services has been abolished and two new posts have been created in its place within the Ministry of Health and Wellness. These are Director of Public Health and Wellness and Director of Hospital Services. One month after the administration of Prime Minister John Briceno took office, former DHS, Dr. Marvin Manzanero became infected with COVID and Deputy Regional Manager, Dr. Melissa Musa was brought in as Acting DHS during Manzanero’s extended sick leave to address the spiraling COVID numbers. Upon his return to work, Manzanero was offered other posts within the Ministry, which he refused, creating a dispute between him and the Ministry. He was relocated to another office and he reported to work daily, but his workload had barely anything to do with the title that, by law, he still held. Dr. Musa, in the eyes of many, performed remarkably well in the post of Acting DHS in reducing the number of new COVID infections within a short space of time. So we asked her today whether she was interested in any of the two new posts that have been created. This was how she responded.
Dr. Melissa Musa, Deputy Reg. Mgr., Central Health Region
“I believe that it will be advertised and I don’t know if I am being considered for any of those. I live in the Belize District and I believe that I can still do significant work here in the Belize District. So, as far as I’m concerned, at this point, I don’t think that it’s something that they would say “You’re going to take that position.” I think it’s something that more than likely would be advertised, but I haven’t heard any update from the Ministry of Health at the national level with regard to the two posts as yet.”
Marion Ali
“Have you any interest in any of them?”
Dr. Melissa Musa
“Um, well I’ve always practiced in primary care and that’s the area that I’m trained in. I think that that could be something I could help to develop, but there are other areas that I can also work and continue to work. Like where I’m at at this point and improve primary care in the Belize District as well. So it’s something that I haven’t really sat down to think about for a long period of time but because we’re busy, it’s constant every day, and we’re trying to work to reduce these high numbers and to get our vaccination up and to improve primary care to get persons back into getting screening for cancer and screening for hypertension and diabetes. We’re trying to push the nutrition aspect, so I’ve been focused with the team here at Central Health Region mainly with doing a lot of that so it’s not something that I have been really thinking about and elaborate about a lot.”
