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Joined: Oct 1999
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Marty Offline OP
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From: Amanda Syme:

On Thursday August 26th, 2010 at 1:30pm I attended a meeting at the San Pedro Polyclinic II. Also present were Ms Melinda Guerra, Regional Manager of the Ministry of Health, Mr Omar Mitchell, Engineer, Mr Baldemar Graniel representing the Lions Club, Dr. Javier Zuniga and Dr. Otto Rodriguez. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a report that was submitted by Mr. Mitchell regarding the integrity of the roof of the poly clinic structure.

In a nutshell, the roof structure is leaking and must be cleaned, repaired and sealed soon in order to prevent further damage. Water damage is not the only threat, if the leaks continue there will be risk of dangerous mould growth which could cause the Poly Clinic to be closed down. The cost of the repairs, which will be a permanent solution (not a stop gap measure) is approximately $40,000.00 BZ. This figure includes the cost of materials including importation costs and stamp duties, labour, oversight by a qualified and experienced engineer and includes a buffer for unexpected costs. The job will take 2 weeks.

The figure does not include the cost to ferry the engineer back and forth from the city to the island via plane (due to his other commitments and time constraints), nor does it include the cost of accommodation for the nights that the engineer may be required to spend on the island.

The materials will be purchased at Benny's home centre and the engineer will apply his 19% discount to assist with material costs.

The engineer's overseeing fee will be $4,000.00

The Ministry of Health via the NHI is able to pledge $8,000.00.

Time is of the essence as the roof damage is exposed to the elements.

The Poly Clinic desperately requires these repairs but the Health Department can only commit $8,000 to the project which means that the community of San Pedro must raise the additional $32,000.00

An appeal is being made to the San Pedro Business Association members, the San Pedro Town Council and the Belize Tourist Board.

Ms Guerra shall be looking into the possibility of tax exemptions for the goods that will be imported.

The next meeting to assess the feasibility of this plan will be this Friday, September 9th, 2010. Ideally we would like to begin repairs in October as soon as we have raised pledges to cover the costs. Some of the specialized materials must be imported from Canada which takes approximately 3 weeks.

As an aside, the engineer's inspection has revealed that the concrete structure, columns and beams are unable to withstand any additional weight which means that the poly clinic structure will not be expanded upon in the future.

In good news, the Area Representative Minister Manuel Junior Heredia has confirmed that the San Pedro Poly Clinic will be receiving 2 additional nurses in September, 2010 which will mean that the clinic can extend its hours and operate 12 hours per day in the future.

Last edited by Marty; 09/03/10 01:40 PM. Reason: dspt 3 changed to sept 9
Joined: Mar 2003
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Amanda - please keep the board up to date on the Poly Clinic and fund raising events. Happy to volunteer some time for any events etc should help be needed call.

Shame such an important facility can have such an issue already.

Joined: May 2000
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Thanks Phil and all of the others that have immediately pledged to do something to help remedy this situation.

I will gather pledges over the weekend via emails and hopefully have a more positive report to make on monday or tuesday.

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The Friends of San Pedro have already collected some cash donations. Thanks!

Joined: Oct 2005
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Here's the FOSP donation site.

https://secure.piryx.com/donate/ZaDTaAPh/Friends-Of-San-Pedro/polyclinic

Over $1000 already!

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Sorry for the delay in my update. I will get it posted tomorrow morning. We are getting some great pledges but have a little way to go yet! Thanks everybody for your support. Every little bit helps.


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Marty Offline OP
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Poly Clinic in Danger of Shutdown

$40,000 Needed for Roof Repairs



The San Pedro Poly Clinic's roof is in dire need of repairs and the general public is being asked for monetary assistance to fix the roof top. On Thursday, August 26, a meeting was held at the San Pedro Polyclinic II and present were Ms. Melinda Guerra, Regional Manager of the Ministry of Health, Mr. Omar Mitchell, Engineer, Mr. Baldemar Graniel representing the Lions Club, Dr. Javier Zuniga and Dr. Otto Rodriguez. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a report that was submitted by Mr. Mitchell regarding the integrity of the roof of the poly clinic structure.

The report stated that the roof structure is leaking and must be cleaned, repaired and sealed soon in order to prevent further damage. Water damage is not the only threat, if the leaks continue there will be risk of dangerous mold growth which could cause the Poly Clinic to be closed down. The cost of the repairs which will be a permanent solution (not a stop gap measure) is approximately $40,000.00Bze. This figure includes the cost of materials, importation costs and stamp duties, labor, supervision by a qualified and experienced engineer and includes a buffer for unexpected costs.

The figure does not include the cost to ferry the engineer back and forth from the city to the island via plane (due to his other commitments and time constraints), nor does it include the cost of accommodation for the nights that the engineer may be required to spend on the island.

The government Ministry of Health via the NHI is able to pledge 20% of the amount -which is $8,000.00 Bze. Therefore the goal has been to raise the additional $32,000.00. Benny's Home Center has pledged a discount which has brought the cost of material down by 25%.

The Friends of San Pedro has pledged over $1,000 to date. The Sunbreeze Hotel and Sunbreeze Suites have made a cash donation. Pedro's Inn, Caribbean Villas and Maya Rental House have all pledged a place for the supervisor to stay.

An appeal is being made to the San Pedro Business Association members, the San Pedro Town Council and the Belize Tourist Board. Ms Guerra shall be looking into the possibility of tax exemptions for the goods that will be imported. Some of the specialized materials must be imported from Canada which takes approximately three weeks.

An engineer's inspection has also revealed that the concrete structure, columns and beams are unable to withstand any additional weight which means that the poly clinic structure will not be expanded upon in the future.

On the bright side Mukul and Kelly Kanabar of Blue Water Grill, Caliente and Red Ginger restaurants have generously offered to assist in the fund raising efforts by making the following pledge: They will MATCH every dollar that local businesses, groups and individuals donate towards this fund.

The San Pedro Business Association is collecting all monies and if the goal is not attained all funds will be returned. The donations can be made by emailing the San Pedro Business Association at: [email protected] No pledge is too small and with Mukul and Kelly's offer to match donations whatever you can afford will be doubled!

Please help repair and maintain the Poly Clinic. This is a crucial element of our emergency response ability in this town. The clinic currently operates 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with a doctor on call 24/7 for emergencies during the hours that the clinic is closed.

Ambergris Today


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Marty Offline OP
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The San Pedro Poly Clinic is the only public clinic on the island, owned and operated by a coalition made up of the San Pedro Lions Club, The San Pedro Town Council and the Government of Belize. Even with these strong entities managing the clinic, financial shortfalls are constant. Once more, the public is being asked to assist with raising/donating to ease the current shortfall. The San Pedro Poly Clinic II is a crucial part of the emergency response in town. The clinic currently operates from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday, with a doctor on call 24/7 for emergencies during the hours that the clinic is closed. In addition to emergencies, the Poly Clinic II offers pre and ante natal services, baby clinics (including vaccinations), specialists for eyes, bones, diabetes, dental care and many other ailments. Everyday care for coughs, colds, blood pressure management and so forth are available at the clinic. Services rendered by the San Pedro Poly Clinic II are free of charge and donations are encouraged in the form of $5BZ if the patient is able to make or afford a payment.

At 1:30pm on Thursday August 26th, 2010, a meeting was held at the San Pedro Polyclinic II. Present at the meeting were Ms Melinda Guerra, Regional Manager of the Ministry of Health; Mr. Omar Mitchell, Engineer; Mr Baldemar Graniel representing the Lions Club, Dr. Javier Zuniga and Dr. Otto Rodriguez of the San Pedro Poly Clinic II. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a report submitted by Mr. Mitchell, regarding the integrity of the roof of the Clinic's structure.

The report highlighted the problems existing in the roof structure, in particular, the severe leaking which needs to be repaired and sealed as soon as possible in order to prevent further water damage. Water damage is not the only threat facing the Poly Clinic II however, as extended water damage may lead to the risk of formation of dangerous mold growth, which could force the Poly Clinic II to close. The recommendation is to treat the roof with a combination of a snow roof type material and fiberglass with epoxy system. There are two such systems; the "Snow Roof System" and "Kool Seal" system. "The important characteristics of either system is their performance under intense ultra violet radiation without breakdown and the property for stretching, shears, torsion and strain while maintaining their integrity," reported engineer Mitchell.

The cost of the proposed permanent repairs is approximately $40,000.00 BZ. This figure includes the cost of materials - importation costs as well as stamp duties, labor and overseeing fee and a buffer for unexpected costs. The proposed time frame for the project to be completed is two weeks. This would provide a permanent solution to the Clinic's roof problems. Additional costs would include aerial transportation for the engineer to and from the island as well as accommodations. The Poly Clinic is in dire need of these repairs, however, with the Health Department committing to only $8,000 to the project, the community is left with the task of raising the additional funding, which totals $32,000.00.

Amanda Syme of the San Pedro Business Association (SPBA) explains, "In light of this extremely busy tropical storm season, the threat of harm and medical emergencies are heightened. Of major concern is the fact that torrential and constant tropical downpours will continue to erode the already tenuous structure. And to add to this the fact that the San Pedro Poly Clinic II is our main source of medical care during and after a storm crisis - we cannot afford to run the risk of this clinic being closed. From the monitoring, control and prevention of diseases such as dengue fever, typhoid and dysentery, to the supply of immediate urgent medical supplies that will be required such as blood, medications, tetanus vaccinations etc, and of course other essential first response and monitoring services - please give this a thought when you consider which charity you would like to see continue in our community".

If funding is raised in time, the hopes are to commence the project in October 2010. Apart from the repairs needed to the roof of the Poly Clinic, the engineer's inspection has revealed that the concrete structure, columns and beams within the clinic are unable to withstand any additional weight to the roof, as presently there are cracks visible in the columns and along the walls. Further expansion is not recommended.

The SPBA, along with Mr. Baldemar of the San Pedro Lion's Club, is pleading to the Business Sector and general population of Ambergris Caye to "Please help us repair and maintain the Poly Clinic II". Local entrepreneurs Mukul and Kelly Kanabar of Blue Water Grill, Caliente and Red Ginger restaurants have generously offered to assist in the fund raising efforts by making the following pledge: They will MATCH every dollar that local businesses, groups and individuals donate towards this fund.

The San Pedro Business Association is collecting all monies and if the goal is not attained all funds will be returned. The donations can be made by emailing the San Pedro Business Association at: [email protected]. No pledge is too small and with Mukul and Kelly's offer to match donations, whatever you can afford will be doubled!

Special thanks to Kelly and Mukul Kanabar, Sunrise Realty, Pelican Properties, Friends of San Pedro, Pedro's Inn, Stell and John Stapleton, Sunbreeze Hotel, Sunbreeze Suites, Lisa Morely - Maya House Rentals, Caye Casa, Cliff and Joanne Arthurs, Indigo, Tsunami Skydivers and the Caribbean Villas for their kind donations to this worthy cause that will benefit the entire community of Ambergris Caye.

San Pedro Sun

Last edited by Amanda Syme; 09/17/10 02:57 PM. Reason: name edit
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 7,050
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Latest update - September 17th, 2010:

The San Pedro Business Association has received cash donation/pledges in the amount of $5,800 Bz

With Kelly and Mukul Kanabar's offer to match the donations that brings us up to $11,600 raised, plus the $8,000 from the ministry of health for a total raised so far in the amount of $19,600 BZ. We are basically half way there!

If everybody that has the ability to make a small donation, say $50 - 200 Bz each we will be able to reach the goal quickly.

Donations can be made by writing a cheque to SPBA and dropping it off at my office at Sunrise Realty in San Pedro Town. We can also receive cash and will supply a receipt. For those who would like to make a deposit from their account to the San Pedro Business Association account - the account info is Belize Bank acct # 670-1-1-27464 If you make a deposit to the account please send an email to confirm: <[email protected]>

Thanks to everybody who has donated, everybody who is passing the word along and everybody that cares that we keep the doors to the clinic open.

Yours truly
Amanda Syme, SPBA

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 15
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Originally Posted by Amanda Syme
Latest update - September 17th, 2010:
The San Pedro Business Association has received cash donation/pledges in the amount of $5,800 Bz


Does that include the $2,250 BZD that the Friends of San Pedro have currently collected?


Friends of San Pedro
A US Non-Profit for San Pedro
http://friendsofsanpedro.org
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