Government Moves Forward on Two New Regional Hospitals

Tonight, the Government of Belize is taking its first real steps toward easing a long‑standing strain on the country’s healthcare system. With aging hospitals and chronic overcrowding in both the north and south, officials are now moving forward with plans for two new regional hospitals. Health Minister Kevin Bernard, along with Toledo area representatives Oscar Requena and Osmond Martinez, recently sat down with consultants who’ve been tasked with carrying out a full feasibility study. The proposed sites are Punta Gorda Town and Orange Walk. According to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, this study will determine whether Belize needs brand‑new facilities altogether, rather than pouring more resources into hospitals that have already been standing for more than forty years. Deputy Director of Hospital Services Lizette Bell says both regions have reached a critical breaking point, and the need for expanded, modern care has never been more urgent.

 

Lizette Bell, Deputy Director of Hospital Services, MOHW

“We are in the process of doing a feasibility study for the possible development of two new hospitals. One of them is in Punta Gorda Town and the other is in Orange Walk. So with regards to the Punta Gorda Hospital project, as that facility has been there for almost fifty-five years, the facility has really outgrown its current needs and capacity. It is important for us to look at the functionality of the current facility and that is going to determine whether we progress to a new one. There are other factors that we also consider with the Punta Gorda Hospital. For example, the issue of the distance it has to the next level of care. As its referrals center is Stann Creek, the Southern Regional Hospital. So it’s almost two hours away from the next level of care and it does not have surgical services offered at Punta Gorda. With regards to the Northern Regional Hospital similarly we are at the point of doing the feasibility study. That facility however is almost forty-four years old and you can see that the facility literally also has outgrown its capacity. There are many times our maternity ward is at a bit occupancy of over a hundred percent where we have to be finding space in the surgical unit to host these patients. The emergency room, I know you are aware that the emergency room as well is very small. The area for accessing for trauma care and even the observation. The population in Orange Walk has been growing. We must remember too that the Northern Regional Hospital also provides services to Corozal District.”