Minister of Health and Wellness Weighs in on K.H.M.H Dilemma

The Minister of Health and Wellness, Kevin Bernard, said that he took a team to listen to the concerns of the K.H.M.H. Workers’ Union. He said that they have found a way to resolve those issues. He explained to our colleagues at C.T.V Three in Orange Walk in Corozal earlier today that there is no collective bargaining agreement between the K.H.M.H. and the union to address some of the issues at hand.

Kevin Bernard

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness

“I find it a bit disappointing because I felt that we engaged them in the process to let us work together and fins a solution to the concerns that they have raised. And just like everything, I think genuinely, when you really sit down and look at the situation, these are things that could be easily solved at the lower level. Some of the main points that they raised really would have been addressed if there was an existing collective bargaining agreement. So we ended with the fact that we will agree in six months time, the union will bring to the management a draft collective bargaining agreement, working together with the Labour Department, working together with management and the board to try to come up with an amicable draft that both parties can really sit down and iron out the things that relates to the other matter that they brought up in terms of shortages and quality of medical supplies. That was also an issue that could have easily been addressed if they had done the right processes. And it was obvious that some people preferred to have leaked certain things to the media as opposed to do the right thing, reporting that needs to be done. They need to do a quality assurance for everything they use within the hospital setting, so if that was done properly, the Quality Assurance Unit who has been working very closely with the Ministry, our Drug Inspectorate Unit and our C.M.S, having working very closely, so if certain things were raised in their letter was done in the right manner, many of these issues would not have been out there. We’re not trying to fight with the union. We’re trying to work along with them to see what can be – how we can solve the issues they have been raising and how together we can improve the services delivered to or people and the condition of work for the employees that they represent.”