Water lab upgraded

The Pan-American Health Organization this morning received sodium parameters, solutions and equipment to help monitor drinking water to ensure it is safe and healthy to drink. PAHO/WHO Doctor Graciela Uriburu and Minister of Health Servulo Baeza told News Five about the importance of having the laboratory upgraded.

Doctor Graciela Uriburu, PAHO/WHO Representative

“We understand that the good quality of the water is the basis for good life, for the quality lifestyles. It is good to prevent mal-nutrition because water can be a means of some mortal diseases. For us it is a very important issue to help with good quality of water. And, as you know in Belize rural this is still with twenty-five percent of the population don’t have total water supply.”

Servulo Baeza, Minister of Health

“That little lab that we saw in there is the lab that is responsible for the monitoring of our water for the entire country of Belize. So, we must understand that it is a very important lab and it is one that we need to give more focus on. So the donations that PAHO have given to the lab will definitely improve the capability to the testing and monitoring of our waters.”

The future plans of the Water Lab is to upgrade the infrastructure, increase the capabilities of the laboratory to cover other areas including food analysis. The Ministry says that very soon they will be hiring another Water Analyst because at present there is only one. The Water Lab is located at the old Belize City Hospital.