Ministry Pushes Back: ‘BFLA Is a Clinic, Not an Excluded Stakeholder’

Questions over consultation are now at the centre of the national debate on the enforcement of prescription regulations, as the Ministry of Health and Wellness defends its policy while stakeholders claim they were left out of key discussions.

Director of Public Health and Wellness Dr Melissa Diaz Musa said BFLA is not an excluded stakeholder but part of the wider health system operating within clinical frameworks.

However, the issue of consultation has remained a sticking point.

Speaking on Open Your Eyes, Executive Director Joan Burke questioned the transparency of the discussions behind the policy.

“Who was at the table when the discussions took place? We have the Belize Medical and Dental Association, the Nurses Association, and the Pharmacy Association. We have all these women’s organisations; the BFLA and the representatives from NHI. I really don’t know who was at the table during these consultations… Was this an informed decision?” Burke said.

Burke warned that without clear stakeholder involvement, the policy risks undermining access rather than improving it.

“Ensuring that we have no barriers to access, we understand the Ministry of Health as the regulatory body and respect that. We work along with the ministry, but we cannot support an initiative or attempt to deny or put up all these barriers,” she added.

“The ministry of health has a mission to provide the highest standard of care and the most affordable care and services and increase access. Is this policy going to do that?” Burke said.

The Ministry maintains that despite dropping the ball in properly communicating the enforcement, the framework is intended to strengthen safe and regulated access to contraceptives under the public health system.