Scholarships awarded to medical students

Seventeen scholarships have been awarded for Belizeans to study medicine, presumably in Cuba, beginning next month. The announcement was made at today’s Cabinet meeting by the Ministry of Education. The scholarships for general medicine are being awarded to: Selma Bermudez, Cynthia Terry, Patrick Estephan, John Arana, Keisha Westby, Maximiliano Riverol, Reymundo Bautista, Michael Sommerville, Beatriz Amaya, David Morales, and Perlita Aldana. Anwar Arzu will study dentistry, Dr. Melissa Espat anesthesiology, Dr. Byron Simmons and Dr. Moguel surgery, John Sosa will study neurology and Dr. Jesus Ken urology.

Under the Ministry of Finance, Cabinet agreed that the Betting and Gaming Control Act would be tabled at the next House of Representatives meeting. The act is designed to better regulate gaming through licenses and tax collection. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on the recent CARICOM Heads of Government meeting and the response to the United State’s sanctions against the European Union banana regime. The Ministry of Sports gave an overview of the start of the semi-professional basketball at the City Center while the office of the Prime Minister indicated that a portion of the Water and Sewerage Authority’s property on Wilson Street will be given to the Sister Cecelia Home for the Elderly so that they can expand their facility.