Dr. Cuellar Says “Middle Man” Involvement in Procurement of Medical Supplies is a Problem

Internist, Doctor Fernando Cuellar is a former member of the K.H.M.H Board of Directors. He said that the head of the K.H.M.H. Workers Union sits on that board so that it should have known about the severity of the shortages at the hospital. He points to the involvement of middlemen in the acquisition process as the problem.

Fernando Cuellar

Dr. Fernando Cuellar, Former Board Member, K.H.M.H.

“These things should be aired at that level and I think that the current management has an open-door policy that they could be accessed that listen – but these people from the union are not telling lies. Dehn nuh di mek up story; there are some severe shortages of basic supplies that are compromising patient-care. And we realize that we only serve twenty percent of the general population. Eighty percent ah Belizeans di tek lick. And we as good corporate people and heartful practicing people want that everybody have some basic, good healthcare. I access the C.E.O this week to help us with a medication that I wanted to use in the private sector. They didn’t have either, but I was hoping because we have that relationship but we nuh have wa point where we have lack of basic supplies.”

Marion Ali

“Could it be that the situation is indeed because of the ratio that you just shared with us, you only cater to twenty percent so the shipping bottleneck might be with that other eighty percent?”

Dr. Fernando Cuellar

“No, no. I also work in the public sector, so I know what it is. The problem is the acquisitions of these supplies have to go through a lot of third persons.”