MOH Outlines Donor List for COVID-19 Management
Lizette Bell
During today’s Ask the Experts webcast, Lizette Bell of the Policy, Planning and Project Management Unit provided a list of funding and donation committed to Belize for COVID-19. The total expenditure, according to Director of Health Services, is about six million dollars, two thirds of which was drawn directly from government. The Ministry of Health says that a number of international financial institutions have also committed funds to Belize’s COVID-19 response. The EU has committed to one point nine million Euros, the Canada Fund has committed to five hundred thousand U.S. dollars and the UN agencies have committed two hundred thousand dollars for P.P.E.s as well as community health workers investment. The donations, which include finance, medical equipment and gears, come from international and local donors.
Lizette Bell, Director, Policy, Planning & Management Unit
“The VOISE international call center that donated ten thousand dollars towards the procurement of three interal-feeding pumps; two defibrillators. The IADB also provided funds of ninety-two thousand dollars for test kits and risk communication; along with the Rotary Club of Belize City that provided twelve thousand towards the test kits and Belize Medical Associates who provided two thousand four hundred dollars towards the test kits. In addition, the Taiwan Embassy here in Belize provided a total of five hundred and forty thousand towards the effort and these funds were used to procure face masks, enzymes and test kits as well. We have SAIGCOR insurance that provided ten thousand dollars that was used to procure face shields; BEL provided seventy-thousand dollars that was used for enzymes for lab tests and also face shields; the Social Security that gave two hundred thousand dollars that was used to procure x-ray machines and six ventilators. In addition, we have Santander that provided two hundred thousand the funds was used for the retrofitting of the isolation center at the western regional hospital and we also have some unallocated funds there. Ready Call Center provided twenty-thousand dollars towards an ultrasound machine; Probitas Foundation provided eighteen thousand dollars towards face shields; the international atomic energy agency provided one hundred and twenty-seven thousand three hundred and seventy five dollars and ninety-two cents for the procurement of laboratory equipment and supplies. This gives us a total of one point three million dollars towards the COVID funds.”
Other donors include PAHO, Femagra Industries, Bowen and Bowen Limited, the B.N.E. Trust; M and M Engineering; Quality Poultry Products and the Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund, which contributed ten million dollars.
