In 1998, the Lions Club constructed a building on Princess Margaret Drive to serve as a hostel for the family members of those receiving attention at the adjoining BCVI Clinic. Since then, the 7 bedroom lodging area has been used, but not to the extent that it was designed for, mostly because there hasn't been any full-time management of the facility. Well, as of today, that's all changed, and the Lions Club opened the doors to the Lion Lester H. Young TRC and Hostel building to the public. We found out how it will work and who will benefit.
“The concept of the whole project was to provide accommodations, lodging accommodations, for two groups: one is patients and their families who are attending the adjacent BCVI surgery and who require preoperative preparations and post operative recovery. The BCVI does mostly outpatient so they have no ambition facilities. So one of the purposes was to accommodate those patients and their families attending a BCVI operating theatre. The second group was to accommodate families of patients admitted to the KHMH, particularly those families from the out district.
There has always been a problem, I understand, of people sleeping on chairs inside the rooms with their loved ones, people sleeping in the lobby and in the hallways of the hospital and hopefully this will help to alleviate some of that problem.
The service is pretty much confined to board and lodging. There are no meals provided. At this point the established rate is ten dollars per day.
We think it is particularly important, particularly to people with humble means and those particularly are from outlying areas. It is not so critical to Belize City patients and residents since they are in close proximity.”
The hostel will be managed by the hospital auxiliary. Those wishing to board there will have to be referred by a health authority. Guests will have to pay a nominal fee of $10 per room, per night.
