San Pedro Hospital Build Advances Despite Past Setbacks

After years of waiting, construction is finally underway for the long-promised General Hospital on San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and residents say it’s about time. For decades, islanders have called for better emergency medical services, especially in one of Belize’s busiest tourist hubs. But getting here hasn’t been easy. The project faced major setbacks, pushing timelines back and testing patience along the way. Today, we made our way to the construction site for a firsthand look and an update from Belize Rural South Area Representative Andre Perez. News Five’s Britney Gordon has that report.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

In 2025, tragedy struck when two-year-old Kaleel Nah died from a high fever while being rushed off San Pedro by water taxi, after his family couldn’t secure a flight for urgent care. More than two years later, the promised San Pedro and Caye Caulker General Hospital is still unfinished. The thirty-three-million-dollar project was supposed to wrap up by December, but delays continue to mount. Prime Minister John Briceño says the setbacks come down to a shortage of labor and the rising cost of building materials.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño 

“There have been cost overruns for various reasons and one of the primary ones is the cost of building supplies have gone up. You could ask any contractor, from the most ardent UDP supporter to PUP, the cost of building supplies have gone up and we can’t get away from that. The cost of labor continues to go up. When I speak to people all over the country, especially in San Pedro. They are pouching each other workers. So, you are working for nine dollars, somebody comes and gives you ten dollars.”

 

Funding for the long-awaited hospital comes through a multi-million-dollar grant from the Republic of China (Taiwan), with Taiwan’s Overseas Engineering and Construction Company leading the design, construction, and outfitting of the facility. But even with that support, questions remain about the budget. Area Representative Andre Perez says the original thirty-three-million-dollar allocation may not be enough to fully complete the project. Still, he insists the work will go on, assuring residents that the government is committed to finding the additional funds needed to get the job done.

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“Even though there is a rising cost in materials we’re talking cement, steel aggregates, just about everything, including labor right now. I’m told that for a worker here to be hired here, you have to pay them way over a hundred dollars a day. That is something that was not expected, but it’s here already. So now, we know there’s going to be an added cost, but that is something that the Minister of Finance is working along with the OECC, with the Taiwanese government to see where how much it’s going to be. But I can assure you that I think I heard someone said about fifty million. That’s, that- that’s totally way over, overboard, right? But we have not yet quantified as such what’s the amount, but certainly it’s not $50 million. But nonetheless, it continues.”

 

The two-story, thirty-seven thousand square foot structure is set to be Belize’s second largest hospital after the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Project Support officer David Schart gave us a closer look, walking us through the plans and offering insight into the work now taking shape on site.

 

Voice of: David Schart, Project Support

“We have a considerable area dedicated for maternity. Labor room, delivery rooms, post-delivery room, pediatric room, and entire ward dedicated just for maternity. Another set of isolation rooms, two beds. Two areas for OR, one for future, one will be current, one for current. Sterilization area for all.”

 

PM Briceño  further explained that the timeline for the hospital was adjusted as the plan changed over time. The government now estimates that the hospital will be completed by early to mid-2027.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño 

“They want to put a CT Scan. That was not part of the plan. At one point they said they want to put an elevator to take up people to the second floor. That was not a part of the plan, the removed that. There are several changes. What is the most important thing is that we made a commitment to the Belizean people and the people of San Pedro and Caye Caulker is that we are going to provide a modern tertiary hospital and that is what we are doing.”

 

The hospital was designed to provide residents of Caye Caulker and San Pedro with easy access to the urgent medical care with plans to expand in the future.

 

As of now, the government claims it cannot provide an estimate of how much more money is needed to complete the project.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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