Remembering “Miss Nurse” Bernadette Flowers Smith

Among those three deaths recorded on Tuesday was Nurse Bernadette Flowers Smith of the Belize River Valley. The much respected medical professional was in charge of the health center in Double Head Cabbage for over three decades. She died after being hospitalized for several days at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. “Miss Nurse,” as she was affectionately known, is the first nurse to die from the virus, but she joins several other doctors who have died. Today, when we spoke with Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa she says that while Nurse Bernadette had retired some time back, she was rehired and has been working with the Central Health Region for the past five years.

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Central Health Region

“Our team at Central Health Region has really felt this loss. Nurse Bernadette has been with the Ministry of Health for thirty-two years. She had served the population of Double Head Cabbage for many, many years. I mean when I came to the Ministry of Health in 2008, Miss Bernadette was there at Double Head Cabbage and the residents of the River Valley have made it absolutely clear how much she was loved, how much she dedicated her time and her life to serving the health needs to the population in the River Valley and she will be missed incredibly by us who she considered her work family, the nurses she has worked closely with.  The other rural health nurses in the neighboring villages have been having a very difficult time dealing with this loss. So it is hard for the medical team and we just want to recognize the hard work and dedication; she has dedicated her entire life to the health needs of these villages in the River Valley and for that we are very grateful.”