Talks between KHMH Board & Doctors Break Down
Thursday, July 2
Talks have broken down between the Medical and Dental Union and the KHMH Board of Directors. It’s an unexpected derailment of the delicate negotiation process after both parties signed an agreement along with the Labour Commissioner on Monday. The gist of that very modest agreement was that they would meet again on Wednesday to discuss a number of issues. But today’s meeting never happened. It was supposed to start at 2:00 at the Radisson but only the Medical and Dental Union and the Labour Commissioner showed up. President of the Union John Sosa gave us his response.
Dr. John Sosa, BMDU President
“Yes we went to the meeting about two o’clock this afternoon. Five of us went to that meeting, we waited for the directors of the KHMH and they did not come. Mr. Ivan Williams, Commissioner of Labour, took a letter dated today, that he received today and read it to us saying that because of other urgent matters the board will not be able to attend today and they had asked for a meeting for tomorrow and that was the extent of the meeting we had today.”
Jules Vasquez,
So the meeting has been unilaterally I guess rescheduled for Thursday. Will you be in attendance?
Dr. John Sosa,
“We have decided we will not go to that meeting since the board has other urgent matters that it deems more important than meeting with us and it seems they are stalling in a sense, we really don’t know why, we don’t know if they have so much urgency with their thing. They had Monday to meet, yesterday to meet, this morning to meet as a board if it was that urgent. So we are not so sure why they chose two o’clock.”
Jules Vasquez,
So then what next if this process is apparently at an impasse, at another breaking point?
Dr. John Sosa,
“Well our union has a meeting tonight and our members will meet, we will talk, and decide what is the next course of action that we should take or need to take.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is your membership, is your executive satisfied with the quick audit and the Prime Minister’s conclusion based on that quick audit?
Dr. John Sosa,
“We are partially satisfied with it we may say. We have some reasons to feel that Dr. Fabro may be connected with certain issues. We cannot go into the details as of right now and it seems to us that we should get a much bigger and more independent audit.”
Jules Vasquez,
Is the union, is the membership satisfied, would they be satisfied if the board follows through on what appears to be the very strong urging of the Prime Minister that they should get rid of those responsible for buying pharmaceuticals at inflated prices and the only conclusion I can reach is that the person responsible is the Director of Finance. Would you be satisfied if the board okay Prime Minister we are purging that person or persons?
Dr. John Sosa,
“Let me answer you this way, our union has come up with a 15 point memorandum of understanding that was presented and we will stand on those. If they sign on to that we are totally fine and then if not then we really have nothing to discuss because that is what our membership wants.”
Jules Vasquez,
Finally doc what’s next?
Dr. John Sosa,
“Well the ball is in their court. They have gotten a partial report, they have received some recommendations from the Prime Minister. The ball is in their court. I think they should respond, at least to the Prime Minister’s request, and respond to the people of Belize and we will meet as I said and we’ll see if we can give them at least advice on how they can respond or the best they can respond and if they listen fine, if they don’t, well we will have to talk again. I don’t know where or how but we’ll have to see what we do.”
Jules Vasquez,
At some point you’ll have to stop talk.
Dr. John Sosa,
“We have stopped talking today because they did not come and we can’t go tomorrow.”
Jules Vasquez,
But at some point dialogue itself, even when it happens, becomes non-productive and those who are auguring for change or who are agitating for change have to take other measures. There comes a point.
Dr. John Sosa,
“We’ll meet tonight and decide a further course of action.”
This evening, the Government Press Office issued a statement saying that the KHMH Board will be ready to hold the meeting tomorrow at 2:00 – which Sosa already indicated the union will not attend. The release closes by saying that the Labor Commissioner calls on both sides to refrain from any behaviour prejudicial to the proceedings. Seems to us that maybe after missing a meeting....putting an ad on the radio...giving an interview to the news...it may be a little late for such a cautionary tales.
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