BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Aug. 5, 2021– Today, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) officially opened its new oncology clinic, a first for the national referral hospital, and a notable milestone, given the fact that we are still battling a pandemic.
When travel restrictions were put in place last year to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many persons who needed overseas medical care found themselves stuck within our borders. This prompted the KHMH to begin providing services to these persons, primarily persons living with cancer. This has been ongoing for months and has since led to the establishment of this permanent clinic inside the hospital.
The oncology clinic has been in the making since 2018 and will be headed by oncologist Dr. Ramon Yacab, who has indicated that at least three to four hundred cancer patients visit the KHMH yearly.
Over that time, Dr. Yacab has been involved in consultations which resulted in the development of an outpatient chemotherapy unit, created with the help of the Social Security Board.
Most recently, the SSB has offered its assistance in the creation of a revolving drug fund that will make life-saving medication more accessible to the wider public.
The new oncology clinic is the first of its kind within Belize’s public health system.