Between these lines…The 2 million dollar dialysis question!

Published by BBN Staff at July 17, 2018

Tags

Posted: Tuesday, July 17, 2018. 2:15 pm CST.

strong>he views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Breaking Belize News.

By Glenn Tillett: I am again hopeful that today when Pablo Saul Marin sits down with his colleagues in the Barrow administration’s cabinet, Patrick Faber, John Saldivar, Carla Barnett, Tracey Taegar Panton, Beverly Williams, Edmund Castro, Angel Campos, Elodio Aragon Jr., Frank Papa Mena, Michael Finnegan, Erwin Contreras, Anthony ‘Boots’ Martinez, Sedi Elrington, Manuel Heredia Jr., Rene Montero, Hugo Patt, Omar Figueroa, Godwin Hulse, Gaspar Vega as well as Prime Minister Dean Barrow will all ask why Belizean citizens have died and will continue to die from lack of access to affordable life-saving dialysis sessions when the Government of Belize is spending $2 Million dollars yearly to provide dialysis.

It is simple as that.

In my view Minister of Health Pablo Marin should have long ago met with his CEO Dr. Ramon Figueroa, Director of Health Services (DHS) Dr. Marvin Manzanero, the past and current CEOs of Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), the administrator of La Loma Luz hospital, the executive of the Belize Kidney Association and the Belize Diabetes Association, the managers/principals of Dialisis del Caribe and Belize Healthcare Services, the Belize Social Security Board and should by now, have the results and conclusion of the Taiwanese government-funded study on renal incidences in Belize.

I am sure that he knows that Belizeans are dying for decades from lack of access to affordable life-saving dialysis sessions even though he avers that the Government of Belize is spending $2,000,000 yearly, and has spent tens of millions the past 8 years or so under his watch, to provide dialysis. Why that is, that GOB is spending and have for years been spending an enormous amount of money and the result is that Belizean citizens continue to die is, of course, the ultimate responsibility of the prime minister and minister of finance. But as the minister of health, it is Pablo Marin’s responsibility, legal responsibility and he should explain what has happened to the Belizean electorate, and what is being done to right what is a terrible wrong.

I humbly suggest that Hon. Pablo Marin should, as a first step, ask the Director of Health Services to declare a public health emergency in this matter, so as to prevent any more deaths as a result of lack of access to dialysis. Declare that no patient can be denied access while he and GOB sort out the matter. As a patient I know that several of my fellow patients are literally on the edge and relief cannot come fast enough.

For the love of Belize Minister Pablo Marin, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the members of your Cabinet – DO SOMETHING!

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.