By Belize Live News Staff: Belize is about to get back five doctors it sent overseas to specialise.
Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard says two are returning in nephrology, two in obstetrics, and one in paediatrics. Others are still training abroad in fields including radiology in Taiwan.
He also pointed to Dr. Cawich, a paediatric oncologist who recently returned and is now at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
That pipeline is about to widen considerably. Cabinet has approved a $30 million investment over ten years to fund training and scholarships for Belizeans entering nursing and specialised medical fields.
The goal is to stop relying on foreign personnel to keep the system running, though that reliance will not end overnight. Bernard says government is talking to the Philippines about nurses and to Nicaragua and Mexico about specialist doctors, while discussions on the future of the Cuban Medical Brigade continue.
A recent visit to Honduras opened another possible route, this time for Belizeans to access training there.
“There’s need for us to be able to fill this human,” Bernard said of the shortage.
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