Rate at the Western Regional Hospital…who's to blame? First it was the pantry, then was the newly installed air conditioner in the nursery, then it was the fact that the building is on the ground floor, then the blame was put on the administrator, and then on the minister, and now…it's the food vendors outside the hospital. They are being blamed - partially at least - for contributing to the rat problem. And now, the hospital administration wants them off the property. But, it's not that simple; the vendors say that they stand to lose their livelihoods for something that isn't their fault. I visited them today:..
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
Under the shade of this Flamboyant tree seems like a cool resting spot for this family waiting for an update from the doctor about their relative in the hospital.
But this is not a hangout spot or a family waiting area, it's where the food vendors set up and sell their food every day.
They are not here anymore because they were given a letter on Friday informing them that they had to pack up and leave the compound - all 4 vendors. And when they showed up again this morning, police came to remove them from the property.
Now the only things left behind are the grey tarp hanging loosely over the tent, and this table now being used as a makeshift bench.
Courtney Weatherburne
"Tell us about what happened this morning? The police office actually came to escort you guys off the compound?"
Russell Arnold Jr., Vendor
"They came and ask if I am in charged here and I said yes me and my wife and they told us that we have to leave. They have me an hour and a half and so I went home to get some guys to help me move off their compound."
So 39 year old Arnold and his wife had to move outside the hospital gate right beside this muddy trail. For this couple though - selling on this compound is all they have known for the past 8 years.
Russell Arnold Jr., Vendor
"This is what we do to survive. So we came this morning at the start of the week. We have bills and different things to pay. While, this morning we were selling in the compound, the Minister of Health came and ask if we didn't get the letter and understand that we have to move off the compound. I ask him where are we to go? And he say he doesn't matter. I told him that I don't mind go over the fence here so we can serve the workers and the people that comes to the hospital."
Courtney Weatherburne
"What exactly did the letter say and what did the minister tell you when he got here to the compound?"
Russell Arnold Jr., Vendor
"The letter is saying that the problem is that they have in the hospital about the rats and so - they seem that when we have food on the table and people sitting and eating and dropping things around - the letter is saying that that is the cause of the rats. They are blaming us, the vendors about the problem in the hospital."
And the vendors are not taking that blame just like that
Enfied Welcome, Vendor
"We don't have any problem and we make sure we keep our stalls and everything up to date clean, because they come across and I ask them to take a look around and see if you see any rats or any waste food or anything around. The only things here are boards and rocks. So I think that's the only thing the rats can eat. All the years went by, we didn't come to this kind of problem until last Friday. I think they want to put their blame on us. That's the only thing I can say."
Courtney Weatherburne
"Do you think that is fair?"
Enfied Welcome, Vendor
"I don't think that is fair, because we don't have any big business in here, building and stuff that you can say the rats living here or lives there. It's just tents we used here since all my life."
Russell Arnold Jr., Vendor
"We would want to know when the owners of the hospital set a time when we can go back in the hospital and sell. Because when we are out here, it's far different from in here. When we are in there, we feel much safer. When we are out here, anybody could come around and anything could happen. They say when they build stalls, they are going to put back the same vendors back in the hospital. We don't know when that will be. It could be 2-3 years, but we got bills to pay, we need to eat and we need to live and we need to survive. We have to come out here right now and we don't know how far this will go."
The vendors are going to plead their case to the Belmopan City Council to either get permission to set up outside the hospital, or to get back into the hospital - which would be their preference.
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