Small group protest Northern Regional Hospital
In Belize City, the K.H.M.H. is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, but in Orange Walk, we found the Northern regional hospital under attack. What they didn’t have in numbers they had in energy; the small group that gathered made it clear that they want an improvement in medical services. Most of the protesters also had one thing in common, they claim to have experienced less than satisfactory treatment at the northern hospital. News Five Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The protestors numbered less than twenty, accompanied by their children, but they were unwavering in getting their concerns across. They say they are not pleased with the level of services and treatment administered at the Northern Regional Hospital.
Kevin Allen, Father of Baby Keyshaa Allen
kevin allen
“She’s short of breath and we have fear that ih have asthma and we noh know weh fi do bout it cause last night ih stop breath ih completely stop breathe. Dehn just tell we mek we come back tomorrow. Fi see wah physician yeah cause they say he wahn tell we. But last time we come check, the same thing eh tell we; that nothing wrong with the baby. But the baby can’t breathe mami.”
Marion Ali
“Has she undergone examinations, x-rays, anything at all to test the lungs?”
Kevin Allen
“Yes, ih get wahn x-ray this morning, just this morning ih gone through it.”
Marion Ali
“What were the results?”
Kevin Allen
“The person seh the baby like ih lungs noh build yet because ih born soh that ih noh build yet. So that dah weh we di try see if maybe we wah need help or the baby just wa….cause if the baby stop breathe pan we, we noh know weh we wah do.”
priscilla baeza
Priscilla Baeza, Protestor
“I came here for attention but didn’t receive it.”
Marion Ali
“That was recently?”
Priscilla Baeza
“About a month ago.”
Marion Ali
“You are out here protesting in the broiling sun hot. Do you think you are going to get the results that you want by this protest?”
Priscilla Baeza
“Well I surely hope so. We might be a little, but our message is strong.”
Marion Ali
“Who are you sending that message to?”
Priscilla Baeza
“Well to anybody who is responsible for it.”
Spawned from an incident two weeks ago when nineteen year old Yojani Montejo lost her baby during, as she claims, a single-handed delivery, the protestors are demanding that the Ministry of Health intervene in what they describe as lax treatment at the facility.
Yojani Montejo, Protestor
yojani montejo
“The doctor gone out to eat so that time the labor pain became worse so I get out to call the nurse and she was not there, she was eating. So I asked the one that was cleaning and she told me that they are eating. They come back bout ten to fifteen minutes and then that time they check me and they say that the baby is coming. So they took me to the delivery room meanwhile they went and called the pediatrician and when the baby born they said that the heart was too slow. And after that the pediatrician took the baby to another table and he said that he couldn’t do anything else because the baby is already dead.”
Marion Ali
“Has the family asked for an investigation into the baby’s death?”
Renan Carillo, Protestor
“That is the step that we are going to. We have done get all the photocopies, the copies of the ultrasound all papers.”
Marion Ali
“And nothing was wrong with the baby?”
Renan Carillo
“No. Up to the last minute that the baby was inside, it was perfect.”
Marion Ali
“You have the records to show this?”
Renan Carillo
“Yes I have the records, I have the proof.”
Fidel Juchim, Protestor
“They noh care for the patients.”
Marion Ali
“What makes you say that?”
Fidel Juchim
“Sometimes the doctor, you have to wait.”
Marion Ali
“You’re out here protesting, why? You feel it’s their fault why your baby is dead?”
Yojani Montejo
“Yes, I think so because when I gone out to call them, nobody was there at the table and I think somebody should be there.”
And while the turnout was low, event organizer, Santiago Baeza, says the concerns are genuine and urgent.
Santiago Baeza, Protest Organizer
“Many people wanted to do it on a Saturday because many of them are working, they have kids going to school right now, they have to cook for their children and so forth Marion. So that is why we have this group here today and I am proud of them and I am proud of the group because the message is the same even if it is five thousand or this few that is out here, the message is the same.”
While the media were kept at bay outside the closed gates of the hospital, the protestors sounded one common appeal calling on the powers that be to address the problem.
Kevin Allen
“I just wish dehn give we wah lee more attention because the last time that dah weh ketch we, we gone, we come back and then the baby get sick pan we. They seh ih mi good, good and then we ker ahn home and ih get sick pan we. So now again we bring ahn again and again we wah try again tomorrow fi see the physician again.”
Yojani Montejo
“To the persons in the hospital and the Ministry of Health.”
Marion Ali
“What’s the message?”
Yojani Montejo
“Encourage them to do a better job and to have better attention with their patients.”
Renan Carillo
“We’re not doing it for the one that died; we are doing it for the one that is having baby every hour at the hospital.”
Less than a month ago a caller to a local radio station had alleged that an elderly man that she visited at the same hospital was left to the mercy of insects which had invaded one of his toes. It was an allegation that the hospital’s Medical Chief of Staff, Doctor Jair Osorio, told us would be investigated. Today we learned that Doctor Osorio was on holiday and his substitute was not giving any comment. Marion Ali for News Five.
Keep complaining, eventually someone will hear you. It’s just as well that Dr. Osorio was not present, he would have said something to make us want to shove that other foot in his mouth.
people dont give up keep on persuing,what happen to us Belizean we are afraid to fight for our rights we have the power, only that we dont use it let our voices ne heard the same thing I tell those poor importers of fruits and vegetables let them get togeather and sue Marketing Board those poor people have to be paying a fee of 5 cent per ppound of cabbage,carrots and potatoes to Belize Marketing Board why is this a llegal fee ,why minister Montero allow this its a sin and you no one have any idea of now much is payed let me say this look at this one importer apply for a permit with 24,000lbs of potatoes 16,000 lbs of carrots and 16,000 lbs green cabbage what BMDC does with so much money and this is only 1 importers and 2 times per week importers wake up you are working only for minister Montero and Roque Mai ask the question why you have to pay BMDC why
I realy want some one to get serious and investigate all this corruptions BMDC and minista Montero when the poor importers goes to BAHA to apply they need to have the reciept that they payed BMDC other wise ministry or agriculture dont sign and approve their applications so the officer at BAHA advices them to produce the reciept poor importers they work so hard you think its easy those poor people have to spend a whole night at Chetumal sleeping in their trucks pay all customs duty BAHA fees and yet BMDC why and they talk about lower rates for cost a living please can sone one help we are dying the young people are shooting one another but the Barrow gov is killing us
I’ve been hearing complaints about the hospital for a while now. What is happening? Can’t someone from the Ministry of Health comment at least. Is anything being done? Some poor people must be afraid to demonstrate because they are poor and will have to go back there again and will probably be treated worse. Too sad that politics plays its role in everything. This doctor must be big supporter to be talking bulls…….. I don’t know what is happening to our representatives. They are living comfortable and to hell with the rest! Thats why people open your eyes and don’t let them come brainwash you on election time. Remember you need us the poor people to get in office again u noh? I am so depressed and disappointed with our leaders.
hello can u all help to investigate y importers have to pay u can call BAHA we the poor people are suffering some pls help
wish people in the west would start to follow the footsteps of our people in OW, you check out the san igancio hospital, the nurses treat you like if you are an animal, they forget that we are paying their salary, eg there is this one retired nurse from santa elena town, she treat patient and co workers like animals, see she was nobody once, suddenly she became a nurse and was later promoted to a senior post in Belize city, well it seems all position went up her head, I am in wonder why they rehired her to work again, because she have a nasty attitude, you can’t even ask her a question!! I just wish people would get togheter and demand that she be fired. same goes to the ones from over the border,and the nigerians, God I wonder why these people became nurses, the majority in this hospital behave like that, you can count the angels walking those corridors!!!
Orange Walk people have always been brave keep it up mein!