Nurses celebrate contribution to Belize’s healthcare

They may not get the glory like the doctors, nor the level of compensation, but what would any of us do without nurses? In the hope that we will never have to find out, the Nurses Association of Belize is holding “Nurses Week” to celebrate their contribution and talk about ways to ensure that more trained nurses stay in Belize where they are needed.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
In Belize, a registered nurse with a Bachelor?s Degree earns between one thousand to one thousand two hundred dollars a month, while a practical nurse takes home approximately eight hundred dollars. The salaries are considered inadequate by the Nurses Association of Belize. In fact, the association believes low salaries are the main reason why there is a shortage of nursing personnel in medical institutions across the country. The problem is not unique to Belize, but it remains a matter of concern because N.A.B.?s president and a male nurse for the past nineteen years, Matthew Martinez says the situation is detrimental to the administration of care within hospitals.

Matthew Martinez, President, N.A.B.
?The government must find time to ensure that nurses are treated well within the entire healthcare system. There must be time for us to sit at the policy making table to guide the way forward as nurses in Belize.?

There are approximately five hundred Belizean nurses. Those gathered today came to discuss areas of concern to their profession. The conference is just one of many activities to celebrate Nurses Week which is being held under the theme: Nurses for Patient Safety, Targeting Counterfeit and Sub-standard Medicine.

Matthew Martinez
?We are looking at the safety of our patients throughout the country of Belize, especially in the hospitals and the clinical areas. It is upon us to take care of our patients. It is good ethical practice to inform the patient about his or her medication and treatment.?

Martinez says the N.A.B. is also concerned about patients who purchase over-the-counter medications because they often do not understand the side effects that may occur.

Matthew Martinez
?We hope to achieve from this conference and at the end we should come up with a plan of action in order for us to move forward to see what we could incorporate in order for us to continue with working surrounding the theme.?

Nurses Week runs through May fourteenth. Jacqueline Woods for News Five.

In related news, the Prensa Latina is reporting that the eighth Cuba Belize Joint Commission has agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of health care and education, while fostering exchange in agriculture, sugar, and culture. Currently there are one hundred and three Cuban doctors and health workers working in Belize. Belize is scheduled to host the ninth Joint Commission Session in mid 2006.