Government Invests $1.1 Million to Boost Health Sector Training

The Government of Belize is investing an additional $ 1.1 million in its continued efforts to boost a growing shortage of medical aid in the country. This morning the Ministries of Health & Wellness, Education, and the Inter-American Development Bank partnered to provide 60 scholarships to medical and technical support staff in Health including aspiring candidates venturing into the medical field. Here’s Health Minister, Kevin Bernard.

Hon. Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health: “Well first of all you know this is a program that has been ongoing over the past few years, and it has grown and really you know last year we did about 40 scholarships, this year we’re doing 60. I want to of course thank the Ministry of Education who has supported 15 of those Bachelor Program in Nursing scholarships. The ministry has, through its own resource has been able to identify the additional 14 in Bachelors and the nine for Practical Nursing and then the 20 in Midwifery, along with IDB who supported the two Bachelors in Pharmacy. For me, this is always about investing in our people, in making sure that we are able to train and build on the profession that we are lacking in Belize. Nursing is a necessity and as you are very well aware that we have been losing some of our nurses to the bigger countries. So, this is an ongoing process that we have to invest in, try to get as much of our Belizeans to study in this profession, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve. So that we could train more of our people so that they get into this  public health system, so they could provide a better service, and we have better coverage because our ratio,  nurse to patient ratio,  is not where we really want it to be.  And we have to ensure that we can fill that gap.

Bernard emphasizes the selection criteria for the awardees.

Insert: Medical Scholarship 2

Hon. Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health: “There are certain criteria that the Chief Nursing Officer and the ministry look at  in terms of who you have to have certain grades and your previous history of studies has to meet that criteria as well.  But again, we try our very best to help as much.  Not only from these programs, but I know the Ministry of Education also does other scholarships outside of this and they also provide other support to other persons who doing the same field.”

All studies will be conducted at our national university, The University of Belize