Sometimes the best laid plans get tied up by red tape, tape that can seemingly stretch for years. Such is the case of a health policy that is finally getting the attention it deserves. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting It is hoped that the Sexual and Reproductive Health Policy will not be placed on a shelf and […]
This week the International Labour Organization and the U.S. Department of Labour HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Programme continued with presentations to the tourism and agriculture sectors. The workshop seeks to achieve a behaviour change communication strategy that the respective companies will be able to use in their workplaces. Sheila Middleton, Coordinator, Workplace Education Prog. ?These are […]
Last year some of us adults seemed a little sceptical when the National Drug Abuse Control Council released survey results that suggested a high percentage of our children are experimenting with–and even abusing–drugs and alcohol. Well, sad to say, the results for this year are in, and unfortunately, they support previous findings. I was at […]
They may not get the glory like the doctors, nor the level of compensation, but what would any of us do without nurses? In the hope that we will never have to find out, the Nurses Association of Belize is holding “Nurses Week” to celebrate their contribution and talk about ways to ensure that more […]
Medical science has come a long way in the understanding and treatment of disorders that affect our minds… but here in Belize we have not always been able to access those advances, largely due to a lack of resources. Today, despite government’s tight financial situation, steps were taken to provide needy patients with the best […]
It’s not graduation season yet, but that did not stop the Belize Red Cross Society from holding commencement exercises this afternoon in Belize City. Eighteen women received certificates after successfully completing the Home Caregivers Training course. Coordinator Audrey Courtenay says the women are now equipped with the tools necessary to play a meaningful role in […]
In much of our reporting over the last several weeks, we have used the word crisis to describe the situation now facing the country. But the following story, reported by Jacqueline Woods, forces us to realize that there are things in this world more precious than political power and corporate shareholding. Things like the life […]
With good news in very limited supply, we are happy to report tonight that BERT, the Belize Emergency Response Team, has received some much-needed help in its efforts to provide ambulance service during the current civil strife. Following our story on Tuesday night outlining the problems of summoning emergency medical help when the phones are […]
The police were not the only ones under pressure on Wednesday night. As officers worked to maintain law and order on the city’s southside, on the northside the nurses and doctors at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital were busy tending to the wounded as they started arriving at the Accident and Emergency Ward. Dr. Fernando […]
While the family of Daniel Castillo may speculate on whether a functioning phone system would have prevented their tragic loss, there is no doubt that one of the most troubling consequences of the union’s action is the crippling of emergency medical services. Yvette Burks, National Coordinator of BERT, the Belize Emergency Response Team, says that […]
Everybody has a role to play in food safety. That’s the message being delivered this week as The Belize Agricultural Health Authority and the Public Health Bureau launch a food safety campaign. According to preliminary research conducted by the Pan-American Health Organization, ten percent of Belizeans do not wash their hands after handling foods like […]
“Make Every Mother and Child Count” is the focus for this year’s World Health Day. Today, the occasion was marked in Belize with an official ceremony and an exhibition hosted at the Matron Roberts Health Clinic. Dr. Kathleen Israel, Country Rep., PAHO/WHO ?The focus today is on making every child and mother count and that […]
Islanders have been using it for three weeks already, even though the official opening is still a day away and it won?t be fully functional for at least three more months. But after waiting eight years who can blame residents of Ambergris Caye for being anxious to take advantage of the brand new San Pedro […]
Actress Debra Winger is in Belize as part of her duties as Ambassador for “Sight Savers International.” As a partner and funding agency for the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired, “Sight Savers” is interested in the BCVI’s programmes and assistance to Belizeans of all ages. Today their ambassador met one of the BCVI’s most […]
One week ago we reported on the re-opening of the freshly refurbished Matron Roberts Polyclinic on the south side of Belize City. Today ceremonies were held for the re-opening of its twin sister across the river, named after Cleopatra White. Patrick Jones has more. Patrick Jones, Reporting Six months after the old wooden structure was […]
We import too much food from abroad and much of that food is bad for us. And while that’s not exactly news to anyone who’s walked the aisles of a supermarket, what is worth noting is that this week in Belize City a number of nations are getting together to try to do something about […]
Today the National Council on Ageing launched a booklet highlighting a number of illnesses affecting the health of older women. The publication was released as part of activities observing Women’s Week. According to author Lindsey Chapman, a Challenges Worldwide volunteer from the United Kingdom, most of the information, which was accessed from the internet, identifies […]
It has been shut down for over six months, but today the 2005 version of the Matron Roberts Health Centre–now referred to as a Polyclinic–was unveiled today in Belize City. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has the story. Arturo Gamero, Clinical Director, Matron Roberts Polyclinic 11 ?Now even if we count the other private institutions that […]
It’s the fourth leading cause of death in Belize and ranks first for those between thirty and forty-nine years of age. Yes, AIDS in Belize is as big a killer as ever…and today the Ministry of Health released the numbers to prove it. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Since Belize?s first AIDS case was reported in 1986, […]
There is little doubt that over the last decade the quality of medical care in Belize–both public and private–has improved dramatically. But even with all the C.A.T. scans, dialysis machines and intensive care units the attitudinal side of a patient’s recovery cannot be ignored. On Thursday the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital inaugurated a new feature […]
For a lot of older people, the fear of falling and breaking a hip, or losing use of a knee due to arthritis or injury is a real concern, especially when they know that surgery that could restore their mobility is generally not available in Belize. But that could be changing thanks to the efforts […]
We don’t know if they’re listening to this newscast for the first time but today dozens of Belizeans are hearing better thanks to the donation of new hearing aids. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods was on hand for the fittings. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Shortly after nine this morning, six year old Ajawnie Swift arrived at the […]
Belize recently witnessed an outpouring of financial support for a young man in need of a kidney transplant. And while such spontaneous efforts are testimony to the community’s generous spirit, a regular programme for heart patients has been saving lives for years. News 5’s Patrick Jones reports from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Alberto Young, […]
The war against AIDS is being fought on many fronts and today those on the battle line in Belize came one step closer to preventing transmission of HIV from mother to child. Three private companies have pooled their resources to come up with over forty thousand dollars that will allow the Central Medical Laboratory to […]
A team of medical practitioners from the United States is presently in Belize conducting a series of health clinics. It is the third time that the group has been to the country as part of a medical programme by the Anglican Diocese, PUP Queen Square Committee and Peace Work of Virginia, U.S.A. According to one […]
