Tonight, the KHMH's Covid-19 supply closet is just a little fuller after a donation from the U.S. Embassy arrived just in the nick of time to shore up their supplies.
A press release from the embassy this morning indicated that these items are expected to, quote: "assist with preventing and mitigating the impact of COVID-19 at Belize's national referral hospital by ensuring proper sanitization and hygiene at the facility."
Here's what we saw at the handing over ceremony:
The U.S. Southern Command through the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan made yet another contribution to healthcare in Belize this morning in a short ceremony at the KHMH.
And this morning C.E.O Chandra Cansino alluded to the fact that the U.S. is only as healthy as the regional partners who surround it.
Chandra Nisbet Cansino, C.E.O. KHMH
"In the global context of healthcare all of our mutual interests are aligned and this includes keeping our citizens healthy and our systems robust, ready, and keep ourselves ready for any and all challenges ahead."
"This donation of drums of alcohol, catheters, drums, oxygen masks and other important materials are essential basics in the provision of safe and efficient healthcare."
Chandra Nisbet Cansino, C.E.O. KHMH
"It's things that we use every day here and certainly it will be distributed to the hospital we got some much-needed needle containers so the safety of our staff is very important so it will definitely go a long way."
And those materials weren't the guesswork of the KHMH's American benefactors, they were specifically requested due to dire need.
Major Anisha Johnson, Bilateral Affairs Officer, Security cooperation office, U.S. Embassy
"The hospitals put in a request and through U.S. southern command's humanitarian assistance program that is how these supplies are facilitated, the donation was facilitated."
"And again we donated you know through the U.S. southern command through a humanitarian assistance program there have been other donations, you know a field hospital that was donated a few months ago, ventilators and other medical supplies."
And this morning Johnson told Belizean media that while the pandemic may be retreating her countrymen aren't exactly taking health for granted having just got a recent covid reminder.
Major Anisha Johnson, Bilateral Affairs Officer, Security cooperation office, U.S. Embassy
"I know that the covid-19 is likely here to stay, recently the United States vice president was diagnosed with COVID-19 so we know that COVID is likely gonna be a thing that we live with for a while so you know it's these types of donations that would help prevent and likely mitigate the continual spread of COVID-19."
The U.S. Southern Command's donation to the KHMH which includes catheters, sanitization items, isopropyl alcohol, sodium chloride, gloves, and biohazard containers, is valued at $40,000 US dollars.
