Manzanero also addressed an issue that's making international headlines.
A news outlet in New Zealand claims that students from that country have been using fake documents to take two-month holidays while pretending to be on mandatory work placements overseas.
And where are those bogus work placements? Well, supposedly in Belize, Bosnia and Italy, where - according to the news article, quote, "they can get their placement signed-off - sometimes for cash - after only a week or less."
And then after getting these bogus clinical rotations signed off - they then go on holiday.
So, are corrupt element within the Ministry of Health facilitating this scam? Or who is signing off on the bogus documents??
Well, the Director of Health Services says it's not him. He says he is aware that when he took over the post in 2016, there were requests from medical students from Australia or New Zealand to sign a letter stating they had done medical internship in Belize. The records show those students claimed to have worked in san Ignacio, Belmopan and San Pedro. He said there are currently no such internships in the public healthcare system and he refused to sign for any:
Dr. Marvin Manzanero
"Any other student thats coming to do medical electives and we get lots of questions in that regard every year from Germany, from other countries - we are telling them no because we don't have a structure in place. So what may have happened before 2016 I really can't tell you because that was before we did the full investigation. But after we found out we have basically clamped down on medical electives in Belize."
Reporter
"Who was giving these people these documents and signing off on them because that is something every serious?"
Dr. Marvin Manzanero
"Well I don't know what was signed. I do know that there was a note published in New Zealand but I don't know what exactly was signed and who signed it. When we went to the medical students we basically told them that we can't signed anything because I am not sure who validated your course of study here."
Reporter
"Where were they being placed to find out where the bribery which is being alleged occurred and who was taking money?"
Dr. Marvin Manzanero
"Back in 2016 I wasn't so sure that it was a bribery situation."
The New Zealand article quoted a Belizean, Luis Cambranes, who alleged, quote, "word had spread students did not have to attend their eight-week placements and could instead pay a bribe to have their documentation falsified….Now they arrive, get signed-off and leave for Central America." As Manzanero said, he hasn't signed off for anyone's internship since 2016.
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