And in the case of 20-year-old Aaliyah Marokin, she suffered a broken leg, hip, and arm as well as injuries to her face. She was transported from the Corozal Community Hospital to the Northern Regional Hospital due to the extent of her injuries. But the authorities at NRH reportedly told the family that Marokin would need emergency surgery that only a specialist at KHMH could provide. So Marokin was then transported to the KHMH, but she still has not undergone the surgery.
According to her family, they were told she needed to be placed on a waiting list that could take up to a month. In the meantime, she would need to remain at home, and likely on pain medication.
But her family's frustration is building since they were initially told Marokin would need an emergency surgery, which they equated to a life saving surgery. And now, while Marokin waits, the family is growing more anxious and afraid and in need of answers. One of her relatives spoke to us today.
Voice of: Relative of Aaliyah Marokin
"The doctor who was there inspecting it said that due to the complications to her hip and her leg, he would not be able to do the surgery at Orange Walk hence the reason she would need a specialist who is located in Belize City and who would do the surgery for her. So they transported the persons who needed to be because there were more critical that her, so we waiting until hours of the night until she was later on transported to Belize. When she reached to Belize, they told her they would just give her morphine for the pain, bandage her hand, her leg, and they told her they would not be doing any surgery and that she would be on a waiting list and this surgery could potentially take place until end of month's time. Now, she's a 20-year-old with her whole life there, what if any complications happen, infections, happen. She has a broken leg, a broken hand, and all you can do is just bandage it? We need reasons as to why she's on a waiting list. Is it because we are well-known as UDP that you are putting her on a waiting list? or is it because the hospital does not have the medical attention to assist her due to the complications that it has and to let us know that when she would be going to Belize she is going to receive that emergency surgery and yet the story changed while there - telling us a waiting list, telling a mother who had previously went through a loss - that her next child is there crying out of pain and all you could give her is morphine to put her to sleep and if she gets addicted to this drug, what are we going to do? Will anyone be supporting us?"
"We are seeking with other private doctors to see who is willing to take this case. We are not sure if its her whole hip, if its just a fracture - anything else. We cannot just move her from KHMH and put her where. Where are we going to put her. We have to be going to other clinics. Her parents need to be with her, so its not like we are able to be moving around. We are also weighing our options of going across Chetumal. Could it be that Belize really doesn't? Our health does not have it? We are seeking intervention from the Ministry of Health. They told us they are going to let us know. Mein this is an emergency, this is an accident, she did not ask for it."
We reached out to KHMH's CEO for comment today, and she told us she would gather the information and provide an update tomorrow.
