The baby featured earlier in our newscast has to go abroad for open-heart surgery, but another child is undergoing a series of operations right here in Belize City to help him recover from an accident at his home. What caused his suffering is a common household item, something you may never have considered dangerous to […]
The Ministry of Health says that it has identified a probable case of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever in the Cayo District. The diagnosis of the case, which is described as mild, was made following examination of blood samples sent to a lab in Mexico. A press release says that the patient had travelled outside the country […]
On Monday, we reported that a suspected case of dengue hemorrhagic fever might have caused the death of ten-year-old Darwin Martinez of Hattieville Village. Today, however, Director of Health Services, Dr. Errol Vanzie says test results reveal that the child did not in fact have the deadly fever. Dr. Errol Vanzie, Director of Health Services […]
Although all of the countries in our region have a Ministry of Health or its equivalent, there are some issues that transcend political borders. That is why each year representatives from individual countries gather to compare notes and seek collaboration with their neighbours. This year it’s Belize’s turn to once again host the RESSCAD meeting. […]
They’ve only been open three years, but it seems like Universal Health Services has been providing health care to Belizeans for much longer. Today Jacqueline Woods paid the facility a visit to find out what special offers are being made to patients during their anniversary celebrations. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting If you happened to be in […]
We have run many stories over the past fifteen years detailing the generous work of doctors from abroad who have made a life and death difference for hundreds of Belizean families. Today, I was reacquainted with one set of volunteers who, year after year, continue to institutionalise miracles. Janelle Chanona, Reporting They have come from […]
A Belize City mother’s painful miscarriage was made worse last Friday when a horrible hospital mix-up sent her child’s body to the laundromat with the dirty linens. According to authorities at the K.H.M.H., five minutes after one on Friday morning, a five-month-old foetus weighing two pounds, four ounces, was delivered during a stillborn miscarriage at […]
But as the country’s flagship hospital tries to recover from that unbelievable snafu, tonight Belizean medical officials have another headache to deal with, one that might have much worse implications for the public: a suspected case of dengue hemorrhagic fever. Reports to News Five indicate that on Friday, ten-year-old Mario Espinoza of Hattieville Village was […]
The traffic has been so heavy that it could almost be called an air bridge. That’s the route between Belize City and Havana that is paving the way to free eye care for Belizeans. Today another flight turned around at the P.G.I.A. and Jacqueline Woods spoke to those coming and going. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting This […]
Almost every Belizean has benefited either directly or indirectly from the health care provided in Belize by Cuban doctors stationed here. But a new program is giving Belizeans the opportunity to travel to Cuba for eye surgery that they perhaps could not get done or afford to receive here at home. It’s a joint venture […]
To promote responsible pet care, this weekend the Belize Humane Society has teamed up with the Environment Health Unit to provide free rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats. The clinic takes place at the Y.W.C.A. compound at the corner of Freetown Road and St. Thomas Street on Saturday, from ten in the morning to three […]
The Ministry of Health has announced that cases of dengue have been detected in the Cayo District. According to a press release, infections have been reported in Belmopan and surrounding villages, Armenia, Cotton Tree, Valley of Peace, Unitedville, Ontario, Roaring Creek, and Camalote. Symptoms of the disease include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, rash […]
And while local officials try to nip a countrywide dengue outbreak in the bud, this week, health representatives from Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic, are in Belize to hold technical talks in preparation for a regional health sector meeting, scheduled for later this year. Known by its Spanish acronym RESSCAD, the organisation has […]
This afternoon in a brief ceremony at the K.H.M.H., the Hospital Auxiliary donated more than twenty ceiling fans, a number of wash basins, and material for curtains and screens to the general surgical ward of the facility. According to Edith Lizama, unit manager of the ward, today’s contribution will make a big difference to her […]
There may be no cure for AIDS, but there are medications which can improve and extend the lives of those affected. For a long time those pharmaceuticals were too expensive for most Belizeans, but now, one of the key treatments used internationally has became available here at home, and, best of all, at no cost. […]
It’s bad enough when you’re laid up in the hospital with life threatening injuries. It’s even worse when you don’t know how you got them. Jacqueline Woods reports on a mystery confronting an Orange Walk family. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Forty-three year old Gilberto Pat lies in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital with a brain fracture, […]
The Prevention of HIV/AIDS among Youth in Especially Difficult Circumstances is an initiative that seeks to do just that, stop the spread of the disease among Belize’s most vulnerable population. These include commercial sex workers, adolescents, out of school young people, homosexuals, and prisoners. But how much progress has been made towards that goal? A […]
Today is World Blood Donor Day…and unless you’ve ever had a loved one in a life or death situation, you may not realize just how important those little bags of red liquid can be. Jacqueline Woods has more. Ronald Stuart, Pres, Volunteer Blood Donor Service ?I heard the testimony of a relative who had somebody […]
The Ministry of Health is looking to overhaul antiquated legislation which covers this vital aspect of the country’s development. A two-day workshop which started today is analyzing the regulations, identifying loopholes, and separating responsibilities among different government agencies. Director of Health Services Dr. Errol Vanzie says updating the legislation will eliminate a lot of confusion […]
And when it comes to health, experts have discovered that many of our problems can be avoided by taking better care of our bodies both before and after we get sick. Diet, as News 5’s Patrick Jones discovered, even plays an important part in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. Patrick Jones, Reporting The ?Healthy […]
This week the Government of Belize announced that Health Sector Reform continues with the “roll out” of the National Health Insurance to parts of southern Belize. But as Patrick Jones found out, Belizeans won’t be able to reap the benefits of the scheme just yet. Patrick Jones, Reporting The announced June first roll out of […]
Although there are several medical centres in Belize City that offer imaging services like ultrasound or CAT scans, patients admitted to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital will now be able to get those tests done at the hospital instead of having to leave the compound. News Five’s Jacqueline Woods went to the K.H.M.H. to view […]
Personnel from an American military medicine university held a workshop this week on malaria vectors, namely mosquitoes, for the Ministry of Health. The sessions covered a range of topics including collection methods for larvae and adults, materials needed to identify malaria carriers, their resistance to insecticides, data management, and display techniques. Eighteen members of the […]
When most of us think about the victims of HIV/AIDS we think about adults who are living with the disease or efforts to prevent its spread. But we seldom consider its impact on the youngest members of our society, children left behind by those who have died from AIDS or whose parent is HIV positive. […]
Before I introduce this next story I want you to do something for me. Get up out of your chair and go to the nearest mirror. Take a good look at your belly, thighs…backside. Do you like what you see? If you don’t, as Patrick Jones discovered, those extra rolls of fat affect more than […]
