If you've ever sought private medical care in Belize City, there's a high chance you sat in Dr Fernando Cuellar's office. In the decades that he has practiced medicine, he provided great care and comfort from that office.
But today it sat empty, as it has for the past month. And after his passing on Saturday - Dr Cuellar's patients will never again see him sitting across that desk.
He was diagnosed with cancer at the beginning of the month. The disease took its toll quickly, taking his life before he was done living it. According to a statement from his family, he wanted to fight it, and to return home to continue saving lives.
But while the work of "Belize's Doctor" is done, his legacy continues, and today he was remembered by his colleagues at the Belize Medical Associates.
Courtney Menzies has this story.
Dr Fernando Cuellar had the longest waitlist at the Belize Medical Associates - and for good reason. He personified what it meant to be a medical professional - to preserve health and life as best as he could.
But while he was saving others, cancer was slowly killing him.
Earlier this month, he was diagnosed with blood cancer. And on Saturday night, he passed away in the United States, where he was seeking treatment.
According to Dr Marcelo Coyi, he began noticing symptoms in January. And today, the hospital's staff is still expecting that he'll walk through their doors.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates
"It's sad, up to now we still believe he's coming back to work but unfortunately no. It's sad because he had been with us for 23 years from 2001 and he has been a very good doctor, as you can see from his patient load. He also began the intensive care unit here at Belize Medical Associates and all the training that goes along with it of the nurses, the instruments that you need and it also helped us with our protocols for emergency care and so he definitely was key to Belize Medical Associates and also I would say within the wider community, he was well respected, he had a lot of refers from our fellow physicians and so yes his absence is… we sadly miss him."
And so will his patients. The combination of Dr Cuellar's knowledge, candor, compassion and sense of humor made him the doctor of choice of many, and according to Dr Coyi, made it easier for him to get through to his patients.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates
"That is what I think made him outstanding, apart from being a very bright person that he also had a lot of other good features like empathy for persons, for his patients. He felt for them and also his social skills, he was able to communicate quite easily with anybody, whether his patients are poor, whether his patients are rich, he would communicate with them and he had that ability that some of lack that made him such an outstanding physician."
And what also helped him in his professional career was his love for learning, and his willingness to take on even the most challenging tasks:
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates
"Very jovial fellow. Academically, he used to read a lot. I think up to a week ago, before his death, he sent in our BMA chat group articles that he was reading and I said, boy, this man sick but still reading, because he always kept ahead of medical knowledge which changes day by day so you have to keep ahead."
Dr. Victor Rosado, Chairman, Board Of Directors, BMA
"Intensive care medicine is probably one of the most coveted fields and only the very brightest would go into intensive care medicine where you make life and death decisions. It is so stressful, you don't have working hours, so most doctors now are trying to go for specializations that are 8 to 5 and that sort of thing. But he didn't shy away, and he never shied away from difficult cases, he never shied away from high profile, as he would never shy away from a good debate on a medical topic, marijuana in healthcare, and COVID, he never shied away. When the entire country was not knowing what to do with COVID, he was there, we need to do something, so we transformed an area of our hospital to treat COVID patients and he would put on his PPE and he treated patients. He was a trailblazer in that area."
And then he caught COVID himself back in 2021. It left him hospitalized - and even from his hospital bed he was giving interviews on his own condition. But though he survived it, it ramped up his diabetes, and forced him to amputate one of his toes.
And while it was the cancer that ultimately took his life, his age combined with the co-morbidities contributed heavily.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates
"It's just unfortunately with the blood cancer, it could happen with anyone, we don't know the etiology, we don't know why it happens to any particular person but having had that diagnosis, these blood cancers are harder to treat in adults as opposed to in children so he was already at risk because of age then because of his co-morbidities of diabetes, which he had publicly announced and his amputation, he said it's a sexy toe he now has, that made it worse."
And while Dr Cuellar has helped many to navigate the throes of grief, now his personal and professional family are the ones that need comforting.
Dr. Marcelo Coyi, OB/GYN, Belize Medical Associates
"Grief is difficult, both to the family, the immediate family, siblings, and friends, his patients a lot of them are panicking and grief is hard and people have to go through the stages and some of them are initially not good, people get upset, people vex, but eventually I think when we go through that process, there is resolution, the acceptance of what happened and it's nobody's fault, it's not his fault, it's nobody's fault, it's just, that's life and we have to accept it as it is."
Dr Cuellar was fifty seven years old, and had four children.
We note that his contribution to public health was also substantial. Over many years, he held various positions at the KHMH, at one time being the Director of Medical Services.
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