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Saldivar Takes The Role Of Whistleblower
posted (December 30, 2011)
Arthur Saldivar emerged last week as the attorney for KHMH whistleblower Delroy Herrera.

Now, if his brief history in public life shows anything, it is that Saldivar does much more than just lawyering, his core services extend to public relations and even advocacy.

And that's the tightrope he walked today when he invited the media to the BTL Park for what he said was a bombshell. It follows along the same line that Herrera had been threading, except that Saldivar says he has obtained an internal document from the Ministry of Health which shows - what he claims - are irregular and excessive practices. We'll let him explain:

Arthur Saldivar
"The tendering process for Pharmaceuticals in Belize are basically documented in a book. That book is called the Ministry of Health Pharmaceuticals and Related Medical Supplies. Which outline which medicines are bought for the country for all the hospitals country wide, at what cost and who bids and what basically is the guide lines for the bids. But outside of that, traditionally this book, this one says 2011-2012, there this one produce every year, also outlines who wins the bid. So it was very, very suspicious that the Ministry of Health, in the year 2011- 2012 would produce the document and not on any of its pages disclose the winner of the bids for any of the pharmaceutical supplies that it has purchased. I just wanted yourself and the media to challenge what had been placed in the Amandala newspaper this morning, basically the bravado or the hubris, you will be the judge of that and the Belizean public will be the judge of that, that has come out the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in relation to this matter."

Jules Vasquez
"But you are a lawyer sir you are not a pharmacist, you are not a doctor, nor are you a hospital administrator; you know what you are talking about?"

Arthur Saldivar
"I don't need to be a pharmacist or a doctor to know figures; I think I can count from 1 to 10, can't you?"

Jules Vasquez
"But this has nothing to do with counting from 1 to 10 that a red herring argument, what I am saying, do you know anything about the drugs in here? What is you comparison based upon?"

Arthur Saldivar
"Again every drug that is illustrated and indicated within the book has a concurrent price. It is the price of the medication and the quantities that are being bought that is an issue, not what they are or what they do. I certainly can't give a diagnosis."

Jules Vasquez
"There are no baselines upon which to compare it."

Arthur Saldivar
"What I am telling you Jules, there are more of these documents."

Jules Vasquez
"Comparative analysis?"

Arthur Saldivar
"Of course, will show what I have laid out just now."

Saldivar says they will hold a press conference next week. We spoke to CEO in the Ministry Of Health Dr. Peter Allen who told us he is not familiar with the document that Saldivar referred to - but he is very familiar with the process of pharmaceutical tendering and acquisition.

He explained that the Ministry has 26 suppliers who have won bids. He says the tender committee signed off on the winning bids, and that is then sent to the Ministry Of Finance and then sent to the Contractor General - and the contracts are awarded after that. He says all the information is put into Belize health information system and any pharmacist or hospital can see who is contracted to provide what and at what price.

He says their budget has not increased in three years but they have increased the supplies they get with that money. He says the ministry is now seeing over 200% increase in the number of medical consultations in the last three years - and a corresponding increase in the number of prescriptions issued and items dispensed which he says is a product of hard time s because sick people can no longer afford to go private.

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