And if Belize has to send him the Cuban doctors, there will be many gaps in coverage - especially in rural areas. So, the focus would then turn to the nascent University of Belize School of Medicine which was inaugurated and established in August 2024 to present Belizean students with a local option for medical education. Well the Prime Minister says that the hope is that the local med school will be able to produce doctors who can eventually transition to employment at these clinics:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well remember if you look back at history, the Cuban Medical Brigade was never something that would have been prominent it was supposed to have been for a period of time and to allow countries to catch up to be able to provide their own doctors. At least this government had the foresight to start with a medical faculty here at UB and I think if it's not this year, next year, these students will start to go to KHMH to be able to do some practical, for practice in their different fields in the hospital. So in a way it is working out for us and we hope in the next few years we'll be producing more and more Belizean doctors that can provide the necessary services that our people need and deserve"
