Friends of Pediatrics holds urology clinic at K.H.M.H.
On Thursday the outpatient clinic at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital was filled to capacity as children and adults suffering from kidney, bladder, prostate, urine and stone problems came to the hospital to see Dr. Timothy Bukowski, a US kidney surgeon. It is the second time Bukowski has come to Belize to consult with patients and perform surgeries. The trip is made possible through the efforts of Friends of Pediatrics which has come to the aid of many Belizean children in need of life saving operations. A total of forty cases was seen and twelve patients will undergo surgery this time around.
Dr. Timothy Bukowski, Kidney Surgeon
“There were about forty people that we saw, mainly children and some adults with problems that had to do with the kidneys or their bladder. So we saw them at clinic yesterday and made a list for operations today. We have a number of children and babies who have blocked kidneys or bladder problems where they can’t empty their urine very well and so we will be operating on those children later. And then there are some people with kidney stones as well.”
Q: “Of the cases you have seen do any require further medical treatment abroad?”
Dr. Timothy Bukowski
“There are a few cases that are probably more complicated that we have seen that can’t be performed here, either because they require such technological equipment that is so expensive it’s prohibited maybe.”
Q: “Is that why we need to call on the assistance of specialists abroad to deal with these specific problems in Belize?”
Dr. Bill Coleman, Surgeon, K.H.M.H.
“We have Belizean specialists qualified in this field. I’m not aware if they are equipped to offer all the surgical possibilities that are needed. We have the specialists but Karl Heusner does not have the equipment to deal with some of these cases.”
Q: “And these clinics are very cost effective to the patients?”
Dr. Bill Coleman
“Of course, who we can operate on will be done. Dr. Bukowski has even brought some of his equipment to try to further the possibility where surgery is concerned. But his visit is every six months and patients are waiting between six months for treatment, when in fact if we were equipped we have doctors that are trained specifically to do so. We are not doing them for the reason that we are not equipped to do so.”
Doctor Bill Coleman, says such clinics help a lot of Belizean patients especially men who have prostate problems. Such surgeries are endoscopic and the K.H.M.H. is not equipped to perform them. If you would like more information on Friends of Pediatrics programs you can get in touch with Doctor Egbert Grinage, a pediatrician at K.H.M.H. The number is 02-31548.
