http://www.guardian.bz/frankenstein.html
It was with horror that Belizeans learned of the workings of a medical madman within our midst. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation last week made it public that they had located and initiated action, with the assistance of Belize’s Crimes Intelligence Unit, against one Reinaldo Silvestre, a Cuban National wanted on medical malpractice concerns in the State of Florida. Specifically, he is wanted on charges of aggravated battery, practising medicine without a license, and illegal administration of narcotics. He has since been remanded to the prison in Hattieville as he awaits extradition proceedings.
The action brought on by the FBI is as a result of formal complaints made against Silvestre in 1999. At least two Florida women have brought civil complaints against him as a result of botched breast enhancement procedures. His most infamous case, however, is the hatchet job he did on former Mr. Mexico, Alex Baez. Baez had consulted with the fake doctor on hopes of enhancing his pectoral muscles only to be subjected to a procedure whereby he was instead anesthetized with veterinary drugs and given implants that left him with ‘breasts’. The body builder complained that he awoke three times during the procedure.
Most disturbing for Belizeans, however, is that this fake doctor was able to infiltrate Belize’s established medical community while on the run from Florida Authorities. Dr. Reinaldo de la Concepcion Silvestre Castaneda, as he was known in Belize, was given a license to practise in Belize some time in 2000. One Dr. Caldera who was practising in Orange Walk at the time, applied for his license. According to Dr. Carl Meggs, President of the Belize Medical Council (the body that issues medical licenses in Belize) Mr. Silvestre was given a ‘temporary three-month permit’ to work as a surgeon at the Emmanuel Clinic in Orange Walk. His services were terminated after three weeks due to alleged incompetence as a result of a botched appendectomy.
He was later employed at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) as a General Practitioner effective July 3, 2001. Dr. Alvaro Rosado, CEO of KHMH, reported that Silvestre was hired on the basis of the license issued by the Belize Medical Council, and the fact that their ‘due diligence’ process did not reveal anything of a questionable nature with respect to the ‘doctor’s’ credentials and reputation. He was assigned to the Accident and Emergency unit at KHMH until April 2002. On April 4, 2002 a vacancy had opened up at the KHMH for a surgeon and ‘Dr. Ray’, as he had been affectionately referred to, applied for the position. Fortunately, his application was denied as, according to Dr. Rosado, they “were not able to establish his competence in surgery”.
He left the KHMH shortly thereafter and later resurfaced at the Central America Health Sciences University, Belize Medical College as a ‘professor’ employed to teach the subject of Anatomy. In a press release issued by the Belize Medical College (BMC), they claimed that ‘Dr. Ray’ was already living and practising in Belize and that he presented excellent credentials. They claimed not to have “any reason to doubt his identity” as a result. Medical schools in Belize are actually regulated by the Education Department although the regulatory body has a member from the Ministry of Health and also includes the Chairman of the Belize Medical Council. There have been sug-gestions of conflicts of interests with respect to the Belize Medical Council since members are often associated with medical schools in Belize and routinely apply for licenses on other medical professionals’ behalf.
Based on the various press releases, briefings and interviews, it appears that the medical authorities are in a pass-the-buck game. The CEO of the KHMH and the Belize Medical College seem to blame the Belize Medical Council for this foul up. The Belize Medical Council has indemnified itself of responsibility for ‘Dr. Ray’s’ stints at the KHMH and the BMC by suggesting that the license they issued would have been expired by the time he was employed by both institutions. They even implicated the Prime Minister by referring to an ‘indirect request for consideration’ on ‘Dr. Ray’s’ behalf.
We are of the opinion that the issuer of medical licenses holds the initial responsibility of determining whether a person is qualified to practice medicine in Belize. Subsequently, there can be no indemnification for the Belize Medical Council for issuing any type of license. The KHMH and the BMC, although guided by the decisions of the Belize Medical Council, at least must take this matter as a learning experience and step up their level of scrutiny. The Belize Medical Council is adamant that no other license was issued therefore one may conclude that no checks were made with them with regards to ‘Dr. Ray’s’ status. The inference here is that the license may have been a forgery. The Education Department is also in need of some serious internal reflection as their allowing ‘Dr. Ray’ to practise as a teacher suggests further incompetence or collusion.
In any event, it appears that this may simply be another case of compromised Public Officers pandering to a corrupt system presided over by a corrupt Prime Minister. There are too many holes in this story to conclude otherwise. All indications are that there is a cover-up at work here. Why did the PM have to become involved in the pursuance of a license by ‘Dr. Ray’? Isn’t the Belize Medical Council competent enough to exercise their duties? Apparently the PM does not think so. Perhaps he doesn’t because the Belize Medical Council is comprised such that it is not outside the sphere of Government influence. In this particular instance, they were playing with the lives of Belizeans. This is a serious issue, indeed. There can be no excuses.
Fortunately, we have not yet heard of any cases where potential victims of ‘Dr. Ray’ have come forward with tales of horror. Unfortunately, this is just another sad case of how this Government’s corrupt and self-serving agendas ultimately place all Belizeans at risk. When will it end?