Partners Of Belize Medical Mission Offer Their Services To Northenos

From time to time, Belizeans have been able to benefit from free medical services provided by not for profit missions to Belize. Throughout the years, thousands of Belizeans have received medical treatment for just about every type of illness that could be readily diagnosed. What makes these medical services even that much noteworthy is the fact that the men and women performing them do it for free. In these tough economic times, Belizeans do everything possible to stretch their hard earned money and sometimes, that means self-medicating due to the lack of funds to pay for a doctor's visit.

This morning, the Northern Regional Hospital was inundated with residents hoping to take advantage of free medical attention being offered by the eighteen medical practitioners of the Partners of Belize Medical Mission. The team comprised of dentists, hygienists, dermatologists and general doctors. Dr. Gordon Womack spoke to us and told us more.

Dr Gordon Womack- Dental Doctor Specialist

"We are here to take care for as many patience as we can doing extractions, fillings, cleanings whatever they do need and we have four dentist and two assistants with us as a dental team and then we have some ENT Doc., which are ears, nose and throat to do surgery on patients that need surgery procedures. Surgeries will begin tomorrow and they have to be seen preliminary and check to make sure that they do need surgery and once they have been through the screening process then they will be scheduled for surgery either tomorrow, Sunday, Monday or Tueasday."

In Belize, you will agree that health services are expensive. Even Dr Ronald Vevore found that out all by himself as patients shared with him why they had not gotten attention for their individual health problems.

Dr Ronald Vevore- Medical Doctor

"There's been quite a few patience coming through today, we have all ages, we have children, adults, we have ear problems, we have nose problems, we have throat problems and some neck problems and thyroid disease and some of them have required medical treatment and some of them are very good candidates for surgery treatment. Most of the lumps that we have seen on the neck thyroid diseases usually affects the adults and there are some congenital problems that kids are born with that we are taking care off and right now I could say it is about 50% adults and 50% children that we are treating that are here today. I've heard some stories today that are sort of shocking to me, a Unite State Surgical Procedure would cost about $800 American but however I've heard some stories that some of the people are paying upwards of $8,000 Belizean dollars for the same surgery and most of the procedures ranges between anywhere $500 and two or three thousand dollars American but in our country is different than in your country so we don't have no problem taking care of as many people as possible and we are not charging any money are all."

The Doctors will be at the Northern Regional Hospital until Tuesday evening when all scheduled surgeries would have been completed. Dermatology and village clinics are scheduled for Carmelita Village tomorrow Saturday January 26th, August Pine Ridge on Sunday January 27th, Shipyard Monday January 29th and Yo Creek on Tuesday January 30th. In July of last year this same team was in San Pedro engaged in a similar aid to the islanders. This is the third visit Partners of Belize Medical Mission has done to Belize.

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