I hope the conversation in another thread will be carried over to here regarding the need for a hospital on the island.

We do have the poly clinic which is open and staffed at lest 5 days per week. The poly clinic hosts a number of specialists that come in on preset dates.

But
The clinic is not open 24 hours per day 7 days per week.
The clinic cannot handle many emergencies.
The clinic does not offer operating theatres.

Minister Heredia has stated that the clinic will begin operating with extended hours this year, but that is still only til 8pm or so each night.

There have to be some solutions out there.

IMHO the medical professionals on this island need to get their acts together and work as a TEAM not as a bunch of "competing businesses". That mindset is very negative and the results are apparent.

And that mindset would not bode well for a hospital with surgery facilities etc. If the local physicians can't work together for a call schedule for the present format, what do you think would happen with the proposed hospital???

What I have in mind would be more of a surgical facility / short term stay / clinic rather than a traditional US type hospital.

Similar services on a much smaller scale, more of an "acute care facility". Patients needing extended hospital type care for "serious" medical conditions that will not have a quick resolution would still need to go to the mainland.

The Poly Clinic is a good starting point if there's room for expansion of the existing facility.

Start with this "short term" or "acute care" facility only then over a longer period of time other services for patients requiring extended stays could be added as the facilities / staff / money allows.

Start small and simple, work up from there. The cost to provide such services will be lower there than here in the US therefore it is plausable to believe that the facility should be financially viable even when accepting lower reimbursement.

Who will be building, equipping and maintaining this facility? The government or private docs??

Uh - Dr. Tommy I think that is what the Polyclinic is or was intended to be - it's already built - let's see if we can get it running correctly.

Private docs.

But the kicker is the need for a "real" general surgeon who could handle acute abdominal, vascular, and thoracic trauma type surgery.

Know anyone like that Lovey?

Diane, I'm talking about offering a much higher level of service than is currently offered.

Surgical services are needed.

I think you are saying "private docs" as in non Belizian physicians. I don't really think there are many local doctors who would be in a position to finance such a venture. Don't think that would exactly be a "Kumbayah" moment.

No I didn't mean "non-Belizean" doctors. I mean any doctor who wanted to or is able to be a part of the facility. They wouldn't be required to be an equal owner to utilize the facility.

And I still think you're thinking too large, too soon. What I have in mind to start with wouldn't cost a fortune to build / equip.

Start small and expand as time, demand, staff, money, ect. increase.