THE REAL DEAL

It has been a most interesting week to be sure. The Big Deal bounded into San Narciso Village but it seems that his Cheddah Bounce was a little weak and after a very short visit it turned into a walk of shame worthy of The Game of Thrones. As if that was not comedy enough, a certain talk show host was clearly surprised to discover in his personal copy of Plan Belize that in fact, this PUP Government is keeping their commitments to Belizeans. Clearly, this was not the same experience he had while his own political party was in power which would explain his incredulity. Plan Belize commits to new hospitals in San Pedro Town, Belmopan, and another in the South. So far two of those have materialized and Belizeans have not had to wait until a few months before an election to have multiple sham ground-breaking ceremonies as was the case in Belize Rural South with the serial groundbreaker.

Health and Health care are basic human rights. This government is rolling out universal healthcare coverage at the primary level through NHI. This will decrease the load at the secondary and tertiary levels. The Hospital in San Pedro will address the needs of that population at the secondary level again ameliorating the overload now carried at the KHMH. The new hospital facility in Belmopan will address two problems simultaneously, it will provide secondary-level care for people in the area and aid in the formation of healthcare professionals as it will be a teaching hospital. As the population in Belize grows it is expected that the demand for professionals will increase. The ideal ratio is 1 doctor and 2 nurses for every 4000 residents at the primary health care level and therefore in anticipation there is a need to address the formation and continuous capacity building in this regard.

There is also a need to address the professional formation of pharmacists, and laboratory technicians, and the training and capacity building of other high-level medical personnel. The ability to anticipate the needs and to be able to plan for them is something the UDP and the former Minister of Health never quite got. What passed for health care under the UDP were merely knee jerks and reactionary rather than thorough assessment and minute planning. This was the reason that the cracks in the system turned craters as soon as a stressor such as the pandemic attacked. The system is still not perfect, and after thirteen years of mismanagement, neglect, and the pandemic there is still much work to be accomplished. The difference this time around is that there is a plan, and there is true leadership in both the Minister of Health and Wellness and the Prime Minister. They keep their commitments and understand that health is one of the key factors to lowering poverty and increasing the productivity and well-being of Belizeans. Even Fonzo had to grudgingly agree that the PUP is keeping up with Plan Belize and that my friends, is the Real Deal!