Second new polyclinic opens in city
One week ago we reported on the re-opening of the freshly refurbished Matron Roberts Polyclinic on the south side of Belize City. Today ceremonies were held for the re-opening of its twin sister across the river, named after Cleopatra White. Patrick Jones has more.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
Six months after the old wooden structure was torn down, the ministry of health today inaugurated the refurbished Cleopatra White Polyclinic II. Director of Health Services Dr. Errol Vanzie says it?s more than just a cosmetic change.
Dr. Errol Vanzie, Director of Health Services
?Well as you know it was an extremely dilapidated building. The physical environment does affect the morale of staff and the patients that come to the unit. And it?s not only the appearance of the building but the functionality of it. We have redesigned the building in the sense that there is a better patient flow and there is more space available and definitely the working environment has improved. We believe this will improve and positively impact on the morale of the staff and the patients of course.?
Seven hundred and eighty thousand dollars was spent on refurbishing and retrofitting the health facility. Central Region Health Manager Dr. Jose Lopez says that among the services that will be offered at the institution are maternal and child health clinics, immunization and outpatient services.
Dr. Jose Lopez, Central Region Health Manager
?For example we have asthma bay where we can handle patients with asthma and we can treat them and send them home. Of course if it?s an emergency and we can?t take it then he has to go to the Karl Heusner. We also have an observation room where we can keep patients in up to a period of twelve hours and maybe after that they can go home, they don?t have to be admitted to the hospital. Also we take on a lot more curative things. We have visiting specialists and that is only part of it. That is curative part the other part is the preventative part.?
But to compliment that curative part, the Ministry of Health must first grapple with what Vanzie says is a severe shortage of primary care givers in the system.
Dr. Errol Vanzie
?There is a shortage of nurses. This has been a chronic problem in Belize. And now that both England the U.S. are recruiting our nurses it makes it worse. The way we are trying to address that is by requesting government to finance some scholarships through the ministry for nurses. At the same time to get assistance from Cuba and Mexico in increasing the number of trained nurses so that we can meet not only the national demands but also those that for whatever reason are planning to work abroad.?
And in the meantime, Lopez says the Cleopatra White Polyclinic will do its part to try and ease the burden on the country?s main referral hospital.
Dr. Jose Lopez
?What we can do here is try and help the load that will go to Karl Heusner. As you know Cleopatra White is one of the clinics that is seeing a lot of patients. We see here on the average about one hundred and forty to one hundred and fifty patients a day. Because what happens everybody up north, the entire north side of Belize usually attends Cleopatra White. From airport, Ladyville, all those villages coming down they come here to Cleopatra White because it?s closer for them.?
Patrick Jones
?And that will continue? Who can access service here??
Dr. Jose Lopez
?Well really and truly that can continue and it will continue. Anyone can access services at Cleopatra. We are a government clinic, we don?t turn back anyone.?
Patrick Jones, for News 5.
On March thirty-first Belize’s third polyclinic will be opened in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.
