Renal or kidney failure, we're seeing it more and more in Belize, as chronic conditions like hypertension and Diabetes become more prevalent. And, the Taiwanese are seeing it in Belize too! That's why the island nation signed Belize up to a $2.2 million US dollar project called the "Renal Failure Prevention Project". The three-year initiative aims at treating patients in the early stages of renal failure.
Today at the Biltmore Plaza, the Taiwanese Ambassador along with members of the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital from Taiwan, presented the Ministry of Health with the first disbursement of $34,500 US dollars in addition to some 100 dialyzers. Minister of State with responsibility for NHI, Primary Health and clinics Dr. Angel Campos was on hand to receive the donations.
Hon. Dr. Angel Campos, Min. State, NHI, Primary Health & Clinics
"Today we received the first disbursement of $8,500 U.S. Dollars with an additional $26,000 U.S. Dollars. Being disbursed directly for the purchase of a vehicle and a donation of a hundred dialiters to be used for patients presently undergoing dialysis in Belize especially in KHMH and Loma Luz."
"As you know we have a burden in non-communicable diseases especially diabetes and hypertension. Both these non-communicable diseases lead to chronic renal failure. Right now we have a lot of patients in Belize that need hemodialysis and we want to prevent them. Whenever you reach end Stage Renal Failure, it's something that is mostly a death situation. What we are doing right now is that we are focusing more on prevention as it is better than cure. Hemodialysis is part of the treatment to that end Stage Renal Failure."
H.E. Benjamin Ho, Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize
"This is a stream of projects with a total amount of funding from both sides, my country and also Belize on a 2.2 million U.S. Dollar scale. Of course Taiwan will provide all of this fund and the hospital to the project from Taiwan, so called, Eastern Memorial Hospital is part of the hospital in Taiwan. They are here for a whole week, they have been engaged in very intensive talks with the community, health officers, health workers, practitioners, nurses and even stakeholders get to fund ways and means how to later promote awareness of dealing with a renal disease."
Yu-Sen Peng, Chief of Nephology. Far Eastern Mem. Hosp., Taiwan
"We will provide 4 doctors to Taiwan with 2 months training about kidney disease detection, kidney disease care and case management. After these doctors come back to Belize, we will do the kidney disease workshop to train all the physicians in the country. Our task is to train at least 47 doctors in Belize."
Apart from the specialized training that will take place in Taiwan, the organizers will be hosting several training workshops for Doctors and health workers throughout the three years of the project.
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