On December first Belize joins the global commemoration of World AIDS Day. This year, the theme is “End Inequalities, End AIDS, End Pandemics.” The National AIDS Commission says if Belize is to help keep the international promise of ending AIDS by 2030, the task of ending inequalities must be seen as a matter of urgency. […]
For some time now, the positivity rate of COVID-19 has been on a downward trend, registered between five and ten percent. It’s the lowest that the country has seen in a while as Belize appears to be overcoming our third wave. Currently, there are one thousand eighty-two active cases with one hundred and seventy-three new […]
The news spread like wildfire last week that a new variant had been detected in South Africa. Omicron is more transmissible, but so far, cases are milder in terms of symptoms. The concern though is that more people infected could mean more hospitalizations. Omicron has not been detected in the region and the predominant variant […]
The most recent statutory instrument eased public safety restrictions when curfew was changed to ten p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and then on Friday and Saturday it is between eleven p.m. and five a.m. But Doctor Diaz-Musa cautions residents to remain vigilant and not participate in risky activities that may cause a spread. Dr. […]
As of last Friday, fifty percent of the population has received at least one dose of the four vaccines available in country, while forty-five percent are fully vaccinated. Doctor Diaz-Musa says the ministry is strategically going into the communities to get vaccination numbers up. Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Central Health Region […]
Teachers are exempted from the December fifteenth vaccination mandate for public officers imposed by the Government of Belize. While teachers fall under the public sector, they are not classified as public officers. So, come December fifteenth when public officers will be mandated to show proof of vaccination, teachers will be spared. Minister of Education Francis […]
There is a vacuum being left in the wake of Doctor Deysi Mendez’s sudden departure as Chief Executive Officer at the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Her stint as C.E.O. comes to an end on Friday and the Briceño administration will have to name a successor in the days ahead. But there are also several […]
Despite limited resources, Belizeans are preparing to spend yet another Christmas holiday during the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes with economic challenges, but also spending that family-oriented festivity without that loved one who has lost his or her battle with the virus. The way we traditionally celebrated Christmas has changed and the quarantine regulations and safety […]
The dire financial situation of the government’s flagship hospital, the Karl Heusner Memorial, is public knowledge. But today the Chairman of the K.H.M.H. Authority, Doctor Andre Sosa, provided some background context. During an appearance on Channel Five’s Open Your Eyes, he explained that while the K.H.M.H. did get thirty million dollars in government subvention, the […]
For her part, the K.H.M.H.’s Chief Executive Officer, Chandra Nisbet Cansino says the hospital is a key component of the Ministry of Health and any funds that come to them, are for the people who use this public facility. Chandra Nisbet Cansino, CEO, KHMH “In a lot of cases, for instance the first wave […]
Since the beginning of October, health officials have been seeing a dip in the number of new COVID infections in the Belize District, while other districts have shown a slight increase in their numbers. According to Deputy Manager for the Ministry of Health’s Central Region, Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa, the numbers in the Belize District have […]
COVID deaths and COVID-related deaths: we see and hear the terms every day, but many use them interchangeably and don’t know how COVID deaths are determined and classified. News Five asked Deputy Manager for the Central Health Region, Doctor Melissa Musa to differentiate between the two. Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Manager, Central Health Region […]
And while the number of infections decreases in one part of the country, there is still a stretch further that the Ministry of Health has to go before it gets the majority of the population vaccinated. Doctor Musa says the vaccinated population is currently at around forty-four percent. She explained that the vaccinations helped to […]
And finally tonight, we have some good news to report about the popular pediatrician, Doctor Cecilio Eck. He has had a rough bout with COVID, and experienced complications soon after he contracted the virus. He ended up on a ventilator not once but twice, much to the dismay of his fellow medical colleagues. Thereafter went […]
There is more development coming to another tourism destination in the Stann Creek West division. Placencia is getting a new polyclinic. Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler says that that community needs an adequate medical facility to serve visitors and residents alike. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations “Health services are important. People want […]
As the government tries to keep Belize open for business, it continues to push for vaccinations to keep COVID infections and deaths low. But when an announcement was circulated recently requiring all public officers to take the jabs by December fifteenth in order to protect themselves, it was met by a degree of resistance. Today […]
On December fifteenth, all government employees will need to be vaccinated, if at least with the first COVID-19 jab. It’s a mandate that will come into force with the passage of a new statutory instrument that will directly impact public officers. But the authoritative order being passed by the Briceño administration is being met with […]
But what about the removal of Doctor Mendez from the K.H.M.H. Board of Directors? The C.E.O. in the Ministry of Health and Wellness has been replaced by Doctor Julio Sabido who also holds other important responsibilities within the ministry. According to Minister Chebat, it is important for C.E.O. Mendez to pay more attention to the […]
After walking back his position on the management of Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and its board of directors, Minister of Health and Wellness Michel Chebat today announced that the Government of Belize has made available an additional one point five million dollars for the national referral facility. It’s an about-face from last week’s terse comments […]
In expanding on the allocation, Minister Chebat says that the proposal was taken to Cabinet on Tuesday and a decision was made for the monies to be set aside for the hospital, aside from what has already been given to K.H.M.H. since the beginning of the year. Minister Chebat also congratulated Andrew Baird as the […]
Every once in a while, Belizean media invites children or adolescents to come and create stories using their own voices and the voices of their peers. The initiative this week, supported by UNICEF and the National Committee for Families and Children, gave the News Five staff the chance to work with Kathlinn Cabanas on a […]
We already know that the dreaded COVID virus can cost people their lives and leave long-lasting effects. Since the disease has ravaged so many of our people, we’ve heard about the effects on the main organs like the lungs and the heart; but did you know that COVID can also impact your vision? Here’s News […]
Employees of Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital are all considered essential workers on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, the staff has been stretched thin. Lengthy working hours and less than favorable conditions have taken a toll on staff morale, but they remain committed to providing […]
The Public Service Union is joining the chorus calling for the removal of Minister of Health and Wellness Michel Chebat, amid what appears to be turmoil within his ministry. We reported on Friday that former board member Doctor Fernando Cuellar resigned from his post on the executive of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority, following […]
One of the controversial topics for the past couple of weeks has been the shortages that the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital continues to experience, followed soon thereafter by the criticism of the hospital’s board of directors, by Minister of Health and Wellness Michel Chebat. His sharp comments resulted in the resignation of board members Doctor […]
