Belize Medical Associates expands services
The sidetracking of the National Health Insurance programme has been a major financial blow to a number of private medical ventures, but that has not stopped them from expanding their services and sophistication. News 5?s Jacqueline Woods reports on the latest development.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
?Well this is a mile stone that we have reached a step forward in health care delivery in these private institutions like Belize Medical Associates.?
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Today in celebration of its sixteenth anniversary, Belize Medical Associates became the second private health care facility to offer complete intensive care service. B.M.A. Chairman, Dr. Marcelo Coyi, says since they started serving the public in 1988, they have tried to meet the medical needs of the people and the new unit is just one of their many major accomplishments.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, Chairman, B.M.A.
?So we have grown at all times sometimes slowly, but all times consistently and tried to be innovative as much as possible.?
It?s a costly venture that patients should not expect to freely receive. However, B.M.A. does not turn away any life threatening cases.
Dr. Fernando Cuellar
?Of course all immediate emergency care will be given regardless of accessibility, costs and so forth and then afterwards when the patient is stabilized enough then we look and see what are the options for that client either to remain here pro bono or to be transferred to the public institution where there are almost similar care given there.?
One health condition B.M.A. hopes to address through the acquisition of its latest diagnostic equipment is Osteoporosis. The degenerative bone disease which leads to fractures of the backbone and hip joints affects mostly women and men over forty. The new bone densitometer is a simple machine that can easily detect the condition or warn patients if they are at risk.
Dr. Yelina Gough, Radiologist, B.M.A.
?It?s a small machine; it uses radiation, but the radiation is minimal, it doesn?t affect the patient or a large area of the body. It takes four minutes to do the whole scan and the report you can get it quickly.?
?That tells you if you have osteopenia or if you have a normal bone density. It tells you if you have a low bone density and that is what we call osteopenia. And that tells you also if you have osteoporosis and if you have osteoporosis then you have a big risk to have fractures.?
The treatment costs eighty-five dollars. B.M.A. says they take pride in being the longest serving private health care provider in Belize. Jacqueline Woods reporting for News Five.
Today Belize Medical Associates offers twelve areas of specialization complete with on site access to a twenty-four hour emergency hospital, laboratory, radiology unit and pharmacy.
