$1.5 Million More for KHMH Expenses

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 about the K.H.M.H.A., nonetheless, it's an injection of much needed funds into the hospital.

Michel Chebat, Minister of Health & Wellness

"Clearly, as I have said before, the KHMH is an integral part of our health system and our responsibility as a government and as a ministry is really to make sure that that institution remains open.� I had a very fruitful conversation with both the chairman and the vice chairman of the board and we're trying to put in place a sixty-day forecast so that we don't find them complaining or finding themselves having a shortage of medication.� We feel that if they give us at least a sixty-day list of the medication that they need then we can supply it one a timely basis.� As you saw today, the government has given a one point five million [dollar] injection into the KHMH to help them with their expenses.� So I have asked them, that instead of waiting for a year to present these expenses to the ministry, perhaps every thirty days they can give us the expenses they've incurred in terms of COVID, so that we can see how we can resolve that.� So I am hoping that those two things will help to ease the stress that they are feeling."

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 incoming president of the K.H.M.H. Workers Union.

Michel Chebat, Minister of Health & Wellness

"Today we're also handing over a check in the sum of one point five million dollars to the KHMH.� On Friday, November twelfth, I met with the chairman and deputy chairman of the board where I was presented with the expenses the hospital has been incurring since the start of this pandemic.� I took this to cabinet on Tuesday, and the prime minister and cabinet immediately agreed to this additional subsidy to be handed over to the KHMH.� Ladies and gentlemen, this one point five million is in addition to the twenty-six point nine million we have given to the KHMH since January twenty-first of this year and the more than three million dollars in pharmaceuticals given to them by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.� Let me reiterate that the Ministry of Health and Wellness is determined to transform the healthcare system of this country and the KHMH plays an important role in the delivery of quality and affordable healthcare to all Belizeans.� Lastly, ladies and gentlemen, let me take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Andrew Baird and his executive for being newly elected to the union of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and let me thank Nurse Blake for her years of dedicated service."

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