This article is written primarily for the ex-pat, tourist or anybody considering emigrating to Belize. The purpose is of this article is to provide information on how to navigate confidently through the Medical services without fear or ignorance. Hopefully, the reader will be able to plan the correct use of the services based on the understanding of availability and limitations. Some of the services mentioned are particular to Toledo but the reader can take my basic information as generalised to the whole of the country.
General Practice services are adequate and comprehensive in Toledo. It is a free service available in the form of the NHI Clinic in Punta Gorda. It is a walk-in system and facilities include GP consultation rooms, treatment room for minor medical intervention including suturing, minor ops, simple orthopaedic manipulation and administration of IV Fluids. There is a pharmacy run by a qualified pharmacist and all the medication is free. Bloods can be done at the lab in PG Hospital, if required. The Medical Doctors are mostly Cuban (non-permanent doctors who stay for 1 to 2 years to provide adequate numbers of doctors to Belize) and Belizean Doctors (mostly trained in Cuba or Central America). For general medical problems such as coughs and colds or a bad bout of acute diarrhoea, the doctors are all fine with providing the expected care. In my observation, ex-pats who are used to socialised medicine like in Canada, UK or Europe are confident with the level of service available. Northern Americans, on the other hand, may find it very”basic-looking” because they are used to an entourage of medical technology. Just like any government run service in any country, there are the usual limitations with budget and man-power, so expect the usual couple of hours waiting and consultation time appropriate to your medical problem (usually up to ten minutes).
If you require admission and observation for a medical problem then you will be admitted to PG Hospital. The facilities available are nursing and medical care for observational purposes; IV Fluids and IV antibiotics can be administered. If your condition is more serious ie. may require some surgical intervention, then you will be dispatched to Dangriga Hospital which is about 2 hours drive away or Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) in Belize City which is about 4 hours drive away. Transportation is by ambulance.
This is the public system in Belize and they can usually handle basic orthopaedic cases like a broken arm or ankle. Acute appendicitis cases would go to the nearest surgical facility in Southern Belize which is Dangriga Hospital.
If you are a person with a known diagnosis of a chronic condition eg. diabetes or hypertension then you can actually get regular check-ups done at the NHI clinic. It is nothing fancy but it includes regular Blood Pressure, Pin-prick blood sugar tests, Routine Blood Tests (comprehensive haematology and biochemistry) and simple nursing neurological checks. If need be, the NHI clinics can refer you to specialty clinics at the KHMH or for further investigations including MRI, CT, Ultrasound in Belize City. Referrals to the city are not made as a matter of course but minimised to only necessary cases.
GPs are not viewed as “Family Doctors” in the traditional sense where the GP takes care of a person from “cradle to grave” so-to speak. There is no concept of continuation of care with the same GP; you basically see whoever is available and there is very little, if any, community-based medical care.
Within the Toledo region, Hillside Clinic is another GP service available to the population. It is a “non-profit” organisation and a teaching post for Medical students from The States. You will most likely be seen by a Medical Student and ex-pats are expected to pay a fee (donation); medication is available and they sometimes provide physiotherapy. Many ex-pats go here because they feel comforted by the familiarity of Northern American doctors.
Through-out the country, the NHI clinic is available in every region. Your other option is to see a private GP, these are usually doctors who work at the NHI clinic during the day and then open up their practice for a few hours in the evening. You may choose to see a GP privately if you wish to cultivate a better doctor-patient relationship or you would rather not wait long waiting hours in the public clinics. They can be used as a referral service to private specialist doctors. However, referrals are not actually the normal route for a patient and most often, a person will “pick” the specialist which he feels would best handle his medical problem and directly make an appointment with them. Private Specialist Doctors are mostly found in Belmopan and Belize City; most of them work in the public system too. If you wish to find a private specialist, the normal system is find a name and phone number in the Phone Book and make an appointment. Bare in mind, that once you enter private care, the investigations are pushed to a max, regardless of whether they are necessary, since it is considered part of the comprehensive treatment. Blood Works, Investigations including imagery are usually the order of the day and if you used to all that, that is fine. However, people who have come from countries with socialised medicine like Canada may find investigations (and prices) excessive. If you are looking for a “Sherlock Holmes” to solve a clinical conundrum then you have come to the wrong place.
If you require acute medical attention, you can follow the above detailed route through the public system. If you have no confidence in the system, then you need to consider the private route. No referral is required to either of the two private hospitals in Belize City. You just need to get there so plan out your emergency transportation whether it is by land or air.
If there is absolutely no chance that you would consider entering into any Medical facility in Belize, get Medical/ Travel Insurance. This would expediate your re-deployment to the country/medical facility of choice and be a God-send in a time of emergency and stress.
The last choice, which many Belizeans avail themselves to, is to travel to a medical facility in Guatemala or Mexico. There you will find all the care that you would expect from any international hospital and also, medical tourism is established in these countries so they would be better able to provide a medical service in line with your expectations. Again, you need to be able to plan emergency transportation to your place of choice.