Global Medical Team Offers Free Surgeries and Care for Belizean Children

Rafael Roberts: “A team of medical professionals from around the world is in Belize offering free health care for persons from birth to age 21. The aid is for folks diagnosed with illnesses including Hirschsprung disease, Imperforated Anus, Epidermal Inclusion Cysts, Chest Tumors and Gallstones to name a few. Khandice Joseph, office manager for World Pediatric Belize, explained the overall goal. 

Khandice Joseph, Office Manager, World Pediatric Belize: “We currently have pediatric general surgeons that are here in the country. We have a specialist from St. Vincent.  She’s also a Pediatric General Surgeon she’s visiting, working along with her two other pediatric general surgeons that came in.  So, what we aim to do is to provide critical surgical care that’s not available in country. So, this week, they’re doing, Imperforate anus repairs, they’re doing Pediatric gallstone removal and they’re also doing a lot of follow-ups from previous surgeries. We’ve had patients that we’ve taken to the U.S. for Esophageal Atresia repair. They’re also doing follow-ups from those and also from previous years.“

Rafael Roberts: World Pediatric Belize partnered with Alliance Medical to host the clinic for a day. However, CEO Robson Moreira explained the additional accommodation rendered to the team. 

Robson Moreira, CEO, Alliance Medical: “The pediatric system is an amazing organization. It’s an ONG. What they do is around the globe. That’s why we call World Pediatrics they identify kids or families who need to do surgeries or interventions that they can’t afford for that.  Usually, they come to Belize once in a year and then they elect, of course, the families that are needing most and they use one of the facilities around here to do whatever they do.  This year they couldn’t find all the requirements in the facilities around here, so they come to us and we reserved the hospital for them for one full day with our operation theater and our crew to support them to that. But one day was not enough. They have a lot of work to do, so they asked us if we could extend, and then we got into agreement to extend for the whole week.”

Rafael Roberts: With parents in high numbers seeking aid for their kids, office manager Joseph explained the process of obtaining the services.

Khandice Joseph, Office Manager, World Pediatric Belize: “Well, have our presence here in Belize 24-7, so they can contact our office at 223-7300, or we have our Facebook page. It’s World Pediatrics Belize. The mission is to the remainder of the week, but we also would take the referral and see how we can assist. If not locally or regionally, then we add them onto our database for a future clinic.” 

Reporting for Love News, Rafael Roberts.