BMDA not consulted on medical tourism
The formal introduction of Medical Tourism in Belize is in the pipeline; it was discussed on Tuesday at a forum spearheaded by the Caribbean Export Development Agency and the Inter-American Development Bank along with Beltraide, Executive Chairman, Michael Singh. The impression left was that the local doctors were all on board with the policy being drafted to introduce medical tourism. But the president of the Belize Medical and Dental Association, Dr. Joel Cervantes, says not so quick. According to Cervantes, the BMDA has not been consulted on the issue. Cervantes also told News Five that several attempts to give their input have been fruitless.
Dr. Joel Cervantes, President, BMDA
"We're not against medical tourism; we just think that the membership of the BMDA and the executive as such, we are very important players towards the creation of any policy that has to be written by any committee that has been appointed either by the prime minister or the Cabinet. There is a committee that includes of course, the Chairman of BELTRAIDE, the C.E.O. Ministry of Health, from labor, tourism, economic development among others. And even though we have tried perhaps directly and indirectly to have a little bit of voice and say on it we have not been taken into account."
Delahnie Bain
"So what would you have preferred to have been done?"
Dr. Andre Joel Cervantes
"You know, I understand that you have experts within organizations like BELTRAIDE and you have the technocrats and technical people who work for these different ministries. What society must know is that the membership of the BMDA represents doctors and dentists countrywide that work both in the public and the private sector and you can't make a policy if you don't have the expertise from those of us on the ground. We are the people on the ground so definitely whatever policy will have a lot of flaws because I understand the ambition like Mr. Singh put it forward but the approach is not the correct one. I mean if we are the specialized people on the ground, then hear our voice so that this can be guided in an appropriate fashion."
Delahnie Bain
"Have you seen the actual proposal for the implementation of this medical tourism? Are there things that you would have wanted to change as a medical professional?"
Dr. Andre Joel Cervantes
"Well, we know some things because we have been doing some research, investigating, asking some questions. The first thing, we reached out to the Ministry of Health but unfortunately you know that's a closed door. We really can't get to speak to the Minister officially on this matter, we can't get any feedback from the C.E.O., we can't get any type of meetings and primarily that should be the first place we should start. So now what we have decided to embark on is to try to touch the doors with the other players on this committee to see if our voice can be heard because we think that our role is a very important one in respect to medical tourism."
BMDA says problems exist in medical field
Cervantes says that before jumping into medical tourism, there are pressing problems in the field that require urgent attention. The BMDA believes that the exclusion of local doctors in the drafting of the policy, could lead to complications for medical tourism giving Belize a black eye.
Dr. Andre Joel Cervantes
"We understand that they are trying to develop the nation, but we have to be very careful because in a country like ours, apart from legislation lacking which I understand is the reason why a policy is being made, we have a fundamental problem when it comes to the medical practice in Belize and that is proper policing of the way medicine is practiced in Belize. So if we already have a problem on the ground where locally, there are very serious issues that for us we need to address on a local level, by the time you start to bring in foreign expertise, the situation can turn very, very ugly. So we are insistent that we have to be heard, we have to be one of the stakeholders, a very important stakeholder in this type of project."
Delahnie Bain
"Are there any other concerns related to this medical tourism, apart from the fact that you weren't consulted on the way that it is being implemented?"
Dr. Andre Joel Cervantes
"We think our consultation will have to be taken into account. We think that the Belizean public at large-like Mr. Singh has said, this will be put together and it's going to be published for discussion. Do you want to publish something without having some expertise on the ground first? Do you want to be redundant and realize there are a lot of flaws in the system? We think that before you go and publish anything let us sit down because we want Belize to move forward; this is something that we view as a national industry and it shouldn't just be a benefit for a couple of people. We don't want Belize to have a black eye because you have foreign medical experts coming to practice medicine and then we start having issues with respect to the practice of medicine so you know, as Belizeans, yes we want to make sure that medical tourism is done in an appropriate fashion."
According to Cervantes, there are already several foreign investors in the process of setting up shop, including one in Corozal, three in San Pedro and another in Placencia. He feels that the foreign investors are being given a head start while the local doctors are kept in the dark about the developments.
Channel 5