For the past 20 years, Shriners' Hospital has been offering assistance to Belizean children in orthopedics and they are here once again. A team of doctors from the U.S. based hospital headed by orthopedic surgeon John Sheridan is in the country conducting initial and follow up treatment on children with orthopedic problems. Sheridan today told us that the purpose of the visit is two fold.
Dr. John Sheridan,
"We're here to conduct a series of clinics to evaluate children with potential bone and joint problem, spine problems, that we might be able to help with our advice and treatment in conjunction with the doctors and nursing staff here at the hospital and other clinics in Belize. We have over the years treated a couple hundred children by way of this program with the Rotary and Shriner's Hospital. So part of our mission here is to follow these children and make that what we've done is working out and make sure they don't need further treatment. In conjunction with that, we received referrals from a number of sources in the country so we combine the effort of follow-up and initial evaluations for children that children would just like our advice on."
Similar orthopedic clinics will be held countrywide. Over the past 20 years doctors from Shriners have seen as many as 180 children with orthopedic conditions.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift
