7 News Belize

7 New Ambulances To Be Deployed
posted (November 11, 2015)

The ambulances are finally here. In May, former Health CEO Peter Allen told us that the Ministry of Finance had approved the purchase of 6 ambulances and that they were just working on the delivery details. Well, they were delivered and officially handed over at the Ministry of Health's Belmopan Office today. We spoke to Minister Pablo Marin about these long awaited ambulances and how they will improve health services across the country.

Hon. Pablo Marin - Minister of Health

"It's 7 ambulances that we have received. Its money from the Ministry of Health from the PCP and that is why 4 of the ambulances are going down south. They are going to PG, Independence, San Antonio, Dangriga; that's 4 of them. We'll take one to Cayo and one to Benque and one has already been delivered to Corozal; that was the first one we got. As you can see it's the first time ever we have 7 new ambulances in the country and we are looking already to purchase 2 more. One will be for Orange Walk and the other one will be looking at where the next one should be going."

"In the first instance we know that our ambulances were already old. Donations came from Chicago the last time but they were not good enough. They came into the country, one month after that it break down and it was very hard for us because we try to help the people and the transfer that normally we got from PG and Dangriga was something that is essential; from Cayo also. Those are the locations we always have problems with and ambulances breaking down coming to the hospitals."

As you heard, the ambulances will be distributed in the South and West. The total cost of the Chinese made ambulances is $525,000 or 75 thousand dollars each – a fraction of the cost of the ambulance obtained under the road safety project.

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