And the man who signed the new S.I., Health Minister Michel Chebat was in Bullet Tree Village today for a ceremonial reopening of the community's health clinic along with Prime Minister John Briceno
The clinic has been retrofitted to turn it into a health center.
Of course, as is now the new norm, the press wasn't invited - only the Government Press Office. Here's what Chebat had to say about this project during his prepared remarks for the ceremony:
Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"This is a dream that has finally come true for the villagers of Bullet Tree which has been made possible by this Hon. John Briceno led government. In this instance, not only have we retrofitted this facility, but we have gone a step further and have upgraded it to a category of a health center. Access to affordable and quality healthcare is a universal human right and now, the people of Bullet Tree and surrounding villages will have a full-fledged health center that will serve their basic healthcare needs."
"This health center will be open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and will offer outpatient services which will include services for chronic illnesses, general checkups, general pediatric services, daily dressings, vaccinations, pap smears, family planning methods, pre-natal and post-natal checkups among others. This facility will serve approximately 6,000 residents. No longer will our grandparents, our parents and our children have to travel to San Ignacio for their basic health services. As of today, they now have better access to effective and efficient healthcare. When the retrofitting of this health center was completed, we invited the villagers to participate in a naming competition. I am pleased to announced that the winner of the competition is Mr. Celso Manzanero and the wining name is Luisa Manzanero Health Center. Miss Luisa Manzanero was among the first traditional birth attendant for this village, she attended home deliveries and cared for the post-partum women for 9 days post-delivery. She also attended to minor sprains and attended to childhood illnesses. She was well known and beloved by the people of Bullet Tree."
The Health Center has been renamed as the Louisa Manzanero Health Center, in honor of A past resident who became known in the village for the healthcare services she provided.
