Mission Miracle recognizes coordinators and mayors who support the program

Operation Milagro has been around for a few years, it’s an initiative by the Venezuelan government that provides free eye care for needy Belizeans of all ages. So far hundreds have traveled to Caracas to undergo surgery. As a way of thanking those that collaborate in putting the program together, the Venezuelan Embassy today hosted a number of coordinators. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports from the Radisson.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

Venezuela’s Mission Miracle has provided free eye surgery for hundreds of Belizeans, suffering from cataracts and pterygium. Today the Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hosted a luncheon to share the results of the program for 2010 and 2011.

Gabriel Sanchez

Gabriel Sanchez, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

“We have evaluated or diagnosed one thousand people over the last two years and we have sent to Venezuela so far five hundred and sixty-something. So if you imagine that it’s more than one person—if you take it from one year—it’s more than one person per day because every year has three hundred and sixty-five days so we have operated on more than one person per day in just one year. There was this hiatus for Mission Miracle owing to the fact that the flu, H1N1 was spread all over the continent [South America] and that made us stop a little bit or postpone mission miracle so we lost time there. But in the end it’s a very good figure and we have a lot of people involved and the idea is to keep on continuing this and getting the strength deepened so that we can send more Belizeans.”

The success of the program is partially attributed to the support of the city and town councils as well as the district coordinators, who were all recognized for their work.

Gabriel Sanchez

“Also, we’re going to pay a little homage to all those Belizeans who decided to willingly and voluntarily assist Mission Miracle. We have some of the coordinators that we’re going to do a lunch for them to honor them and also—and most important part—the mayors and City Councils and town councils who decided willingly also to support the program and they make the program become a reality.”

Simeon Lopez, Mayor, Belmopan

Simeon Lopez

“When it was first brought to us by the Embassy of Venezuela, we thought it was a good program, I brought it to council to support it because of the fact that it enabled our citizens to gain or regain their eyesight or failing eyesight and since it was all gratis, all the council had to do was to pay to transport them to airport and get them back when they returned. So we thought it was a good program.”

Phillip De La Fuente, Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“This is a free service offered by the Venezuelan country and government. It is for the benefit of the people of Belize and we do have a lot of people who need that surgery on the eyes and we just decided to support it so we can get the benefits for our people.”

Aaron Gongora

Aaron Gongora, Mayor, Dangriga Town

“We believe that any sort of health program, once it should be made available to our municipality members and for this one it goes outside the municipality itself; it’s Stann Creek District inclusive. But once it is available and it’s going to benefit the populace then where assistance is needed we feel that it is our moral responsibility to help.”

The Mayors of Orange Walk, Dangriga and Belmopan say that working with the coordinators has made for a smooth sailing process.

Phillip De La Fuente

Phillip De La Fuente

“The main coordinator is from Orange Walk so I would like to congratulate Miss Lupe for the excellent job she did. she turned out to be one of the best coordinators and she was promoted; she was promoted to the country’s coordinator for this program.”

Aaron Gongora

“It’s an up and down process because it’s a lot of movement, it’s a lot of organizing persons coming into the venue for screening and then again organizing for them to get to the airport and then to their respective homes. But we find that the cooperation is good. Once our input is there, we don’t see any problems. Our coordinators are very effective.”

Simeon Lopez

“We have three coordinators that we rotate as the flights leave and return because sometimes as soon as a flight comes in, another crowd is ready to go out and so that coordinator would have to step off and another one fills in. But that is very good, we had no problem with our coordinators; they did very well.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.

A total of five hundred and sixty-four Belizeans have received free operations through the Mission Miracle Program.