If you were near the KHMH this morning around 7:25, you would have seen 4 BERT ambulances rolling into the compound of the Central Health Region. Now there weren't any mass fatalities nor were there any injured persons inside, the EMT's were just showing up to their new work place - albeit with no clear directions or management protocol. This is after a fall out between the Ministry of Health and the management of BERT. Last night you heard the Director of Health Services Dr. Marvin Manzanero say that BERT was asking for way more money than the Ministry's budget could handle but BERT doesn't agree with that version at all. Today we spoke to two EMT's and they explained what their demands are and why it's not too much for the line of work they do.
Javier Canul, EMT
"I am not really happy exactly with what they are saying here because they are not bringing out the truth. The truth of the fact is that all what BERT was asking for is finance to let us build up back our staff. A couple months ago, the government increase EMT salaries for government employees. But they never increase the employees' salaries at BERT. So what happen is that people started jump ship left right and center for more money and I don't blame them. So then we went and we talk to the government, listen everybody is looking at jumping ship because people are looking for more money and so what happened is that we ended up with a total of 9 staff members and everybody that you see around here work those shifts and 9 people from 16 is not a joke, because we had to work double shifts. Some people works triple shifts. In fact one of our member even went home and find an empty house because his spouse left him. That is because they are working too much."
"Now, all we were asking the government for is to increase our staff. That is what we were asking for. We are asking for money so that we can build back up our staff. We had a staff of 16, now we are at 9. We are not asking for anything else. And I see lots of money out there. I don't want to be political about this, but the other day I heard in the house meeting about how this lady Saldivar is making so much thousand sitting at home doing nothing. Why that cant pour into the EMS system, what that money can't come here? We don't want this to be political. We want the people know that we are here to do good efficient work. Everybody that you see around here is highly qualified in what they do. We are professionals and so we are just asking for a little help so that we can work comfortably, because as it is look at everybody faces - everybody face is tight, because we are tired. This is what this is all about. Its nothing like what this man is saying."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"So why have you all brought your 4 ambulances this morning?"
Javier Canul, EMT
"Because this man Mr. Marvin Manzanero went to BERT to talk to BERT. When the whole thing rise up, he went there and said okay, we want give you all the money, but we want you to show us why we should give you the money - show us how many runs you do for the day."
Barbara Martinez, EMT
"The final stage was that they came back and said they will pay us for the emergency runs. They came to BERT and took all the sheets for the month of June and went through it. They put the price on the emergency runs that they are going to pay, not us - not BERT. They are ones that put the price to charge for the emergency runs. They came up with that idea, Dr. Figueroa. When Dr. Manzanero came to BERT last week or this week, he came with "I think, I believe." He didn't came with something strong and say you know what this is it. So one of the questions after he is finish, because Ms. Burke told him to write it down on paper. One of the things Ms. Burke asked him after he was finish what will happen if we do not agree? Dr. Manzanero says let the staff and the ambulance go to central region and report to such a person. So for him to be saying that when he left the office that he thought we had an agreement. What agreement when nothing was set in full paper."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"So what's happening right now in terms of emergency response within the Belize District for those who needs an ambulance? What's happening right now this minute?"
Barbara Martinez, EMT
"Well what happen, maybe its casualty of war we need to do. The phone will ring but who answers it and where will it go, they need to tell us that."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Is this an emergency in and of itself?"
Barbara Martinez, EMT
"Yes it is."
There are currently 9 EMT's now working on government's pay roll. We will keep following this story.
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