COLA’s protest against K.H.M.H. in wake of 13 baby deaths

On Tuesday, the Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action held a press conference to demand answers from the K.H.M.H. and the government on the thirteen newborn deaths in the neonatal intensive care unit in the month of May. And this morning COLA, some of the grieving parents and concerned Belizeans marched on the K.H.M.H. to ensure that their message is heard. It was a small demonstration with less than one hundred persons, but there was no mistaking the passion and the determination of those few who walked in unity to show that they have had enough. Mike Rudon was in front of the K.H.M.H. this morning and has the story.

Mike Rudon, Reporting

Led by this small coffin symbolizing what has been lost by the parents mourning their dead, the small group of protesters carried placards with messages for the management of the K.H.M.H. and for the government. But if the signs weren’t absolutely clear, their voices were. President of COLA, Giovanni Brackett, was in the forefront, flanked by angry Belizeans and grieving parents, all marching to send a message to ears which so far seem to be deliberately turned away.

Giovanni Brackett

Giovanni Brackett, President, COLA

“The important thing is that the message that the parents sent from Tuesday’s press conference; the message that was sent when thirteen babies died within twenty days; the message sent when mothers lost their wombs up north; when the parent lost her child in Punta Gorda. Those alone in singular events should have sent a message to government. The fact that we don’t have an adequate response from the government at this time, tells me that we have to question the heart of the government. I think that today’s event is just to demonstrate that COLA went on the record to say that we are completely dissatisfied and that we are calling for an independent investigation of what went on at the K.H.M.H. excluding the management; we can’t have them investigating themselves.”

Stephen Panton, Son Died in the K.H.M.H.

“They have wah lotta things weh the hospital do ina the past and weh dehn still di do now. And if we noh want nothing like this happen in the future, we need to take a stand now and we have to make them know that we noh wah allow them to sweep anything underneath the carpet no more. And basically that dah it to make dehn clean up dehn act and deal with the people di right way so we noh have to go through this.”

Marisa Cruz

Marisa Cruz, Daughter Died in the K.H.M.H.

“I just want everybody to get out here and support because we are not the only people who have lost kids. We have other families who have lost as well, but nothing has been done. People do not come out and show their support. People sometimes just stay home and take everything; don’t let people walk over you.”

Yolanda Rodriguez, Protester

Yolanda Rodriguez

“This is heartbreaking; it really is. When I saw the mothers on TV, I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that in this day and age, we are having this problem in a hospital that is the hospital of the whole country. How can it take thirteen babies before you can realize that there is something wrong in this hospital; there is a bacteria? I don’t understand it. I think we have the worst Minister of Health we have ever had in this country. I think the Prime Minister needs to realize that that man needs to go, he needs to be replaced. I have heard him yet come out and give condolences to these mothers who have lost their children. Come on where is the compassion in these people.”

Yolanda Rodriguez is a community activist who has been out of the public spotlight for some time now, but she, and others, were called out by the plight of the parents who have lost their children at the K.H.M.H.

Yolanda Rodriguez

“I’m back because I have seen that the injustices continue, the abuse continues; the people of Belize are very oppressed. We need to stand up, we need to not be afraid. And I am calling on the Belizean people today you can make the difference, you are the ones that put the politicians there, you are the ones that put the government there, you are the ones that are the boss. You cannot sit back. We are losing our country. the time to stand up is now.”

Patrick Jason Andrews

Patrick Jason Andrews, Protester

“I had no other choice but to be out here to let the Prime Minister know that these thirteen babies that die deserve answers and we are calling for a proper investigation—not by the same people who are managing the hospital; that is nonsense. But again the Prime Minister seems to have closed off his ears from the public and that is a dangerous place for us to be as a society, as a nation.”

These protesters and parents feel that the government has ignored the cries of the people, even as the government’s propaganda radio station has criticized the parents, claiming that they are blowing the situation out of proportion.

Stephen Panton

Stephen Panton

“Blowing it out of proportion; this dah noh out of proportion. To me nothing noh out of proportion. What out of proportions is basically the operations weh di take place at the K.H.M.H. and dehn just ened to clean up dehn act and dehn need to own up to what dehn di do and make we move on from deh.”

Marisa Cruz

“To me it is not blowing out of proportion anything because I’m a mother—well I was a mother—and if they had lost a child, they would have been doing the same thing that we are doing. So we are not blowing anything out of proportion. They should put themselves in our place and feel our pain.”

Giovanni Brackett

“When you get calls eleven o’clock in the night from the U.S., when you get calls from a cripple man in P.G. who says I wish I could have been down there, when you get calls from government workers to say mien we neva knew so much thing was wrong or we neva get the sense that it was so serious. Then you understand that this message has gone far. It’s not so much the numbers that is here, it is the numbers that you don’t see and the discontent that you don’t see that will come back to haunt you.”

Yolanda Rodriguez will be meeting with the parents today to explore ways in which they can fundraise to pursue legal options. Mike Rudon for News Five.

Since its press conference exactly one week ago, the hospital has not had any further update on the neonatal deaths.