Rotary Sunrise Club Gifts Dialysis Equipment to K.H.M.H.
In 2019, a study carried out in Belize showed that one in six Belizeans have some form of chronic kidney disease, and as many as three out five Belizeans are at risk of developing the disease. It’s a worrying reality and these growing numbers put pressure on existing care and treatment infrastructure. And so when the country’s referral hospital gets a donation of three hemodialysis machines – it is good news. News Five attended the handing over ceremony.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise gifted five dialysis machines and two dialysis chairs to the Ministry of Health and Wellness. This eighty-thousand dollar donation was made possible through the Rotary of Club of St. Albert in Alberta Canada.
Linette Canto
Linette Canto, President, Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise
“Today, the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise, in partnership with the Rotary Club of St Albert in Saint City Alberta, Canada is pleased to present the Ministry of Health and Wellness with five dialysis machines and three chairs to enhance dialysis infrastructure and treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and the Loma Luz Hospital. I understand two additional chairs have been donated by Belize Kidney Care Center. Kidney disease is prevalent here in Belize and these are key pieces of equipment that will assist in improving the quality of life and provide the gift of many more years to those who are ill.”
Three of the dialysis machines and two dialysis chairs were handed over to the K.H.M.H. Director of Medical Services of the KHMH Dr. Adrian Coye says the equipment will go a long way for the hospital’s dialysis program, as there are more and more Belizeans developing chronic kidney disease or experiencing renal failure.
Adrian Coye
Dr. Adrian Coye, Director of Medical Services, K.H.M.H.
“Renal failure, especially chronic renal failure is of epidemic proportions in Belize. Unlike nowhere else in the world, I think we have had, I think, one of the highest rates in Central America on the background of what we call the meso-American nephropathy. In recognizing this, I think Dr. Bermudez and her background knew that this kind of gift would be very helpful for our patients. This donation is a very important milestone in the journey that Karl Heusner has taken for dialysis care over the last eleven years. And so this donation is going to help us as we are able right now to do about twenty dialysis sessions a day on average and we believe that with this injection to offer even more services down the road.”
In 2010, the K.H.M.H. began to offer special renal failure care through a collaborative project. And since then it has expanded with a team of certified dialysis trained nurses who provide renal failure care and management through its hemodialysis services.
Dr. Adrian Coye
“In that period of time we were able to manage fifteen patients regularly with chronic therapies only. Over the years, however, we have had many major milestones. So, apart from having an excellent track record in dialysis, we have had excellent outcomes. We have had in the beginning five or so dialysis machines and in the last year and a half we have increased our capacity to eight units which matches going from chronic renal failure management going to chronic renal care. So, in Karl Huesner’s journey we are now able to manage patients in our ICU that need hemodialysis; we are able to manage patients on the medical ward that need hemodialysis and with our COVID battle we have developed the capacity to deliver dialysis patients with COVID or suspicion patients under investigation and all of this is very important in our efforts to deliver the best care to all our patients in all categories. We are able to even have a unit now identified just for patients who have infectious diseases such as hepatitis etc and to have dialysis separate for them with an individual unit.”
According to Coye, K.H.M.H.’s hemodialysis program also offers peritoneal dialysis, as well as vascular access for dialysis patients, a unique service to K.H.M.H. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
