K.H.M.H. offers help to staff affected by Hurricane
While the brutal force of Hurricane Richard is still being felt in the Belize District, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and the Ministry of Health today gave out financial support to affected members of staff and others at the Central Health Region’s Laboratory. The cheques, which amounted to around eleven thousand dollars, came from the profits of the hospital’s Staff Loan Fund and the Ministry of Health. While the losses suffered by the staffers tally well beyond the help they received, they told News Five that the gesture means a lot.
lorna wade
Lorna Wade, Ministry of Health Employee
“Our Deputy Regional Manager, Nurse Guerra she si that her staff needed the help so she ask for help for her staff. She said if her staff is in distress how can they deliver to the public. So this is just a small token of showing us that she appreciates us as staff.”
Marion Ali
“So what did you have to do to get?”
Lorna Wade
“She ask what damage we got and then this is just a small token of helping us. This is not much, but every little bit counts.”
carol perez
Carol Perez, Ministry of Health Employee
“My two TVs gone in, my microwave gone in, I just bought a computer and the CPU gone in. The landlord went to the house yesterday and she said if the hurricane mi continue come, the whole housetop mi gwen, but only part ah it left. They say fi dehn house insure, so dehn wah get dat fix. So god will provide some way or the other.”
Elena Arnold
Elena Arnold, Ministry of Health Employee
“Mi DVD, mi television, mi chair messed up, mi ceiling and mi son bed.”
Marion Ali
“What are you gonna use the money for?”
Elena Arnold
“Well, it could buy back some things that it could help me buy—with the thanks of Ministry of Health.”
According to Chief Executive Officer at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Dr. Gary Longsworth, it was important to help the staff because they cannot be expected to deliver quality service if they find themselves in distress.
Doctor Gary Longsworth, C.E.O., KHMH
“What you saw today was the result of a sort of spontaneous response that came about after Hurricane Richard. We realized immediately after the storm that employees had been affected; even some of those that were at work during the storm. When they were about to go home they were not sure. They had heard reports of damage and loss of belongings, so we said we had to respond. We invited all the affected employees from K.H.M.H. to make a report to us over the succeeding two day—Tuesday and Wednesday—and then in response to that we did our own assessments and we came up with a plan to assist and respond to our employees. Those who had property damage, then loss of personal belonging and persons who had basic need requirements. We decided after all the assessment that everybody had basic needs requirements. Some of them that had lesser damage got a small token to help them along, those with property damage got a lesser amount but will also receive material aid. These are not loans, these are grants.”
Marion Ali
“And how is loan doing?”
Doctor Gary Longsworth
Dr. Gary Longsworth
“Well the loan is down right now. We are trying to build it back up for Christmas, but I think this will put a dent in the Christmas funds.”
Altogether, one hundred and fourteen employees received financial assistance. Longsworth says that a total of thirty thousand dollars has been allocated for the entire relief effort.
