Bank donates equipment to maternity ward
Last year the Friends of KHMH circulated a letter to the business community asking for donations of everything from cups and coffee machines for the staff to supplies for the doctors. Belizeans have been responding well and this week, Barclays Bank employees donated some much-needed equipment to the maternity ward. The Friends of the KHMH took the opportunity to show the community what else has changed in the ward.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The new look is a great improvement to the maternity ward of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The walls have been painted, curtains are up and the ward has also been decorated with a variety of plants. The improvements are part of an ongoing effort by the Friends of KHMH, the hospital staff and management and the public and private sector.
Deeann Musa, Chairperson, Friends of KHMH
“There has been a lot of negative publicity about the KHMH but there are wonderful, good things that happen here and there are brilliant, dedicated professionals working here that are doing a good job but they need our assistance. What good is a carpenter without his tools, in this case a doctor or nurse without their instruments or equipment?”
On Thursday evening, the hospital received a kind donation from Barclays Bank. The money will be used to purchase some much-needed Doppler, handheld ultra sonographic machines that registers, digitally and audibly fetal heartbeats. The Doppler is able to detect when a fetus is in distress and when the baby’s environment becomes risky. For Barclays it was an honour to give money to help purchase the vital machine through their dollar for dollar scheme.
Sue Marshalleck, Coordinator, Bank’s Community Project
“The staff actually raised funds on their own and the bank matches dollar for dollar so we were able to hand over four thousand dollars for the purchase of three or four of these machines.”
The overall improvement has also been an inspiration to those doctors and nurses who work in the maternity ward.
Isabel Bennett, Nurse, Maternity Ward, KHMH
“We love the environment in which we are working and we are working very vigilantly to maintain this working environment because as we are able to give to our patients emotionally because we are satisfied from that end and we give better quality to our patients.”
However, Nurse Isabel Bennett is asking the public to do its part in keeping the hospital clean and beautiful.
Isabel Bennett
“Well when the public come in to visit our loved ones, our main request is not for them to take away the beauty from the place but to add to it just for them to do that is basically not for them to destroy what we have here. Not by dirtying the walls, not by removing the furniture or destroying the plants or even putting garbage where it does not belong.”
Musa says they are committed to seeing that Belizeans receive good basic health care. If you would like to make any donations towards this cause you are asked to get in touch with Friends of KHMH at the hospital.
