Although kidney disease is one of the leading killers in Belize, the country does not have a native nephrologist. Former Amandala reporter, Glenford Jones, Jr., who returned to Belize on Sunday, May 9, after completing six years of medical study in Cuba, told Amandala today that after completing his two-year work bond at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) in Belize City as a General Practitioner, he wants to pursue another three years of training to earn a specialization in nephrology, which would qualify him to focus on kidney patients.
Jones is taking off two weeks before going to get placed at the KHMH.
Glenford Jones studied in Havana, Cuba, starting out at Elacm Escuela Latino Americano de Ciensias Medicas, after which he was placed at Faculty Calixto Garcia, a faculty-based hospital. He served there at the trauma center, where the bulk of the cases were casualties from traffic accidents, train wrecks, stab wounds and chop wounds. Very rarely did they receive patients with gunshot wounds, said Jones.
While studying in Cuba, Spanish was the main barrier that he had to overcome. “Upon arrival they had us doing a month of Intensive Spanish,” he said, noting that he is now fluent in Spanish. “After that month, all courses were in Spanish.”
Cuba is a completely different world from Belize, he said: “Almost everything is different. Most of the food is different – the way they seasoned it. … Everywhere you go you need to form a line.”
According to Jones, there are about 2,000 Belizeans seeking qualifications in medicine, engineering, computer programming, sports, special education and other programs in Cuban schools.
Jones, the son of Glenford, Sr., and Veronica Jones, turns 29 on Friday, May 14.
He thanks the Government of Belize and Government of Cuba for providing him with a full scholarship to study medicine in Cuba, as well as Kremandala, friends and all family who have supported him throughout the years.