5000 More Test Kits and Other Medical Supplies for Belize

Marvin Manzanero

Another issue covered today by the health experts was the matter of testing kits and other medical supplies that were known to be in limited quantity. Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero says a shipment of test kits and personal protective equipment is on the way to Belize.  He outlined the schedule of arrival, as well as the cost and items coming into the country for health workers to respond to COVID-19.

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“We have five thousand individual test kits slated to come in. Seven thousand three hundred P.P.E.s have already been paid for and are on the way. The six initial ventilators are slated to arrive today. We have just signed onto a document to procure test tubes – those are materials used for the actual swabbing and blood samples that are needed for the study that we are undertaking. I will give you total monetary value so that you can appreciate the cost this has.  I know people are saying about the initial budget given of nine hundred thousand dollars and I think we have gone above that maybe from last week or if not before. We are in the process of paying ninety-three thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars for test tubes. From one source we are paying thirty six thousand five hundred and from another source three hundred and twelve thousand six hundred dollars – this is for a total of twenty more ventilators. Six x-ray portable machines are schedule to arrive next week and I know we are getting two portable ultra-sound machines to use in that regard.”