…while doctors look to kick up dust over U.H.S. deal
And while the telecommunications industry is facing the threat of industrial action, opponents of the Government takeover of Universal Health Services say that this Saturday their supporters will take to the streets to publicly call for more information about the transaction. Dr. John Sosa, a physician working out of Belize Medical Associates, is treasurer of the Belize Medical Union.
Dr. John Sosa, Treasurer, Belize Medical Union
“Basically you don’t really need very many tertiary care hospitals in this country because the population is so small that we cannot make them viable. If you need to pay something, it’s hard to make money with a small population. If we had a much bigger population, probably we could have three/four tertiary care hospitals. We really can’t and that is where the problem lies. The population is too small, the money has to be shared around, and then if you have government subsidizing a private institution that is, in our view, unfair competition.”
Janelle Chanona
“Is it subsidizing or is it ownership? Because you started out by saying that it’s takeover.”
Dr. John Sosa
“Of course, the government owns it but it will have to subsidize it, if not how will they pay their loan – just off patient care?”
“We are saying that they could turn into a maternal and child health care centre and whatever services they have integrate into the other hospitals in the country, including Karl Heusner and then we would have a hospital that’s still existent, will still occupy or hire, or at least keep personnel from that institution and whoever needs to find another job can maybe be placed in regional hospitals so that we don’t lose people, people don’t lose their jobs.
“If it stays privately, they have to continue charging, the doctors will want to continue making their money and then how will very poor patients…”
Janelle Chanona
“Yeah, but they’ll get a salary because they won’t own the hospital any more?’
Dr. John Sosa
“I can’t comment on what their status will be and how they will want to work but they have privately said that they will continue making the same money they are making now.”
Janelle Chanona
“Is that what you are going on, what the doctors are telling you out of U.H.S.?”
Dr. John Sosa
“No, that is just one aspect of the thing. What we are saying is that we don’t really know what government will do with it or how they will manage the structure in the sense of…if you have public ownership and it is privately run, then who has access, who pays for that access, which patients benefit, and of course if the people in general will benefit and we are not sure that will happen.”
Janelle Chanona
“And who are you asking to be sure?”
Dr. John Sosa
“The Government of Belize.”
Janelle Chanona
“And you are not getting any answers?”
Dr. John Sosa
“Of course not.”
Tonight we understand that the task force charged to recommend the way forward in the take over of Universal Health Services has submitted its final report to Minister of Health Jose Coye. The recommendations include the establishment of an interim board for U.H.S. to explore the viability of the institution so as to decide the next course of action. The terms of reference have already been written for that board and members would include Chief Executive Officer Henry Anderson as Chairman, Dr. Peter Allen of the Ministry of Health, accountant George Swift and a representative from U.H.S. employees as well as an official from the Ministry of Finance.
