And the real rub at the root of all this back and forth about certain drugs and whether they meet standards, is really and push and pull between the Ministry of Health - as the regulator, and the suppliers, who import the drugs in this multi million dollar pharmaceutical industry.
Manzanero says he feels that Brackett - the activist - was acting more like a lobbyist for certain suppliers - mouthing arguments he's heard before:
Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services
"Some of the language that was circulated yesterday is, I believe, that some of the language that some of the suppliers in country have had, in terms of not wanting to address the full paperwork that is required. So, we may be aware that, we are aware that some products have not gone through those rigorous standards, so we're trying to clamp it down at all levels."
"In my view, some suppliers are unable, not unable, they are unwilling to comply with the mechanism in place."
"I think importers are unwilling. Importers in Belize, the local importers, they are, I think unwilling to go through all that paperwork. I am telling you that the major companies in the region have said we want to make sure we comply with the regulations in Belize, because Belize is one of the last countries in the region to actually put mechanisms in place to ensure that the products are protected, not the market, the products, we want to ensure that we have quality products. So, if Bayer is coming to us, if Pfizer is coming to us and saying we are willing to give it to the importers provided they follow the due process, the local importers, but if it's not happening...?"
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