Additional firemen to be hired
Health care, improvements to the National Fire Service, aircraft safety, hurricane shelters and the bottleneck in the Ministry of Lands were among the topics at this week’s Cabinet meeting. Two district hospitals are being upgraded to take the pressure off the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City. The Orange Walk Hospital will become the major health care facility for the northern districts although clinics will still be held in Corozal. Cabinet has agreed to fund the new surgical wing in Orange Walk and the surgical team from Corozal will be transferred to Orange Walk. Additional staff will be hired. The new Southern regional hospital in Dangriga will open at the end of September, clinical obstetrics, gynecology and pediatric services will begin in October. Surgical services should begin by April and the hospital will serve the people of the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts. As for the Karl Heusner Memorial, an interim administrative board will run the hospital while the legislation to give the board statutory authority is being prepared.
Cabinet also took a look at the condition of the National Fire Service following several fires in Belize City and the submission of a report by the fire service. Cabinet agreed to hire six more fire fighters and four civilian radio operators. Drills and training programs will be intensified and a ten thousand-gallon capacity water tanker will be purchased. A new fire substation will be located on the southside while the sub-station at Santa Elena in the Cayo District will be relocated. The Airport Fire Service will be headquartered in Belize City at night. A public education campaign will also be launched to increase awareness about the dangers and consequences of fires.
The Ministry of Public Utilities, Transport and Communications is seeking to improve the safety of single engine aircraft. New restrictions will be imposed on the type of aircraft which can be used over water. According to Cabinet, the Cessna Caravan has been identified as being more reliable, efficient and safer and is already present in the fleets of both Maya Island Air and Tropic Air. Other similar technology aircraft will also be allowed.
In terms of hurricane shelters, Cabinet has decided to expand the retrofitting program to include shelters in the Stann Creek and Belize Districts not included in the original recommendations. They will be available to people evacuated from coastal areas.
The push to make the Ministry of Lands more efficient continues with some of Minister’s functions being delegated to the Commissioner of Lands or other senior officers. The Ministry says the change will reduce the bureaucracy and provide faster, more efficient land distribution.
