Healthcare Introduction
|
|
|
The
beautiful wildlife that attracts
visitors can pose its own threat to their health, and travelers are
encouraged to be aware of the risks. You
can drink the water in most
areas of Belize, but ask locally if you're not sure. Even street
food
is usually safe, but that doesn't mean you won't get Belize Belly.
|
|
Click any Pictures to enlarge
|
The
local microbes may be just different enough from those back home to
give your system fits. |
Choose one
of the 17 Health Topics
|
or scroll down
|
|
|
|
|
Current Situation
|
|
|
Dengue
In
Belize there is always the possibility to catch Dengue. We had
since October 2009 a few cases in Ambergris Caye. Whenever it rains,
the water that settles becomes a potential breeding ground for the
Aedes Egypti mosquito.
Adult females lay their eggs in water, after 5–14 days, depending on the species and the ambient
temperature; eggs hatch to become larvae, then
pupae. The
adult mosquito emerges from the pupa as it floats at the water surface.
Adults live for 4–8 weeks.
Dengue carrying mosquitoes bite mostly during dawn
(5-9am) and dusk (6-10pm), so it is recommended retraining from outdoor
activities during peak.
Invest in insect repelling lotions and only stay in rooms with screens
on windows and doors. Burning mosquito coils or candles formulated with
mosquito repellents or using electric mats that vaporize pyrethroid
insecticides also may avoid overnight exposure to insects.
Resources: Belize
Ministry of Health
|
Last
Update: Monday 18 March, 2024
|
|
|
|
The Belize Health System
|
|
|
Belize has a mixed
medical system. Most Belizeans get free or low-cost care at a system of
government-run hospitals and clinics around the country. In
addition, there are doctors with private practices who offer services
for fee. Most doctors in Belize are foreign-born and trained.
Western Medicine is at a complete loss when it comes to curing such
epidemics as cancer, aids and the common cold.
A visit to a doctor will cost about US$15 or $20, plus any medicines
prescribed. A hospital stay could cost you $20-$50 per day.
For a serious illness such as a heart attack, you may want to do what
wealthy Belizeans do go to Houston, Miami or elsewhere in the U.S.
Chetumal, in Mexico, is the capital of the state of Quintana Roo and
just north of Corozal
Town. Chetumal has private physicians and clinics which, in many cases,
can
provide high-quality care at a much lower price than care in the U.S.
or in Belize.
|
|
|
|
Blood Donation
|
|
|
The Belize
Volunteer Blood Donor Association and the Belize National Transfusion
Services have a hefty task of not only recruiting donors but also
improving the banking system. After the blood has been collected they
screen hundred percent of the bags for
HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Chagas, Malaria and Syphillis.”
For Information, call the Belize Blood Donor Volunteer, Princess
Margaret Dr. Belize
City +501 224 50 10.
|
|
CPR Training
|
|
|
CPR Training an
advanced CPR Training is organized from the Belize Red
Cross Society
and also frequently trough Bandage International
a non-profit
organization based in Nova Scotia, Canada that has a cordial working
relationship with the Belize Red Cross.
|
|
|
Activities included
administering CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation),
treating skin burns, caring for wounded persons, controlling severe
bleeding, transporting persons with spinal injuries and others.
|
|
|
|
Dentist
|
|
|
Belize
City also has
a number of dentists. Ask the dentist before starting the
treatment that he has a X-Ray machine. Dental care costs vary, but
generally are
about one-third to one-half what you'd pay in the U.S. Dental care in
Chetumal also is very inexpensive.
|
|
|
|
Diagnostics & Laboratories
|
|
|
Today it’s easy to
get your diagnostics in Belize. Private clinics and Belize Medical Associates
offer a variety of Imaging diagnostics and clinical laboratory analysis.
Just ask your local
doctor and he will guide you to the next lab or diagnostic center.
|
|
|
Spiral C.T. scan, x-ray services, mammogram, 4D ultrasound, bone mineral density and much
more is today in Belize available.
The Laboratories offer hematology, chemistry, radioimmunoassay (RIA), serology, urinalysis, parasitology and bacteriology.
Smaller Laboratories all over Belize also offer some of this services,
but mostly only hematology, drug and HIV tests.
|
|
|
|
Diseases
|
|
|
The
risk of cholera
and typhoid, serious diseases elsewhere in the region, is considered
low in Belize. Rabies is present, but rarely affects travelers.
Honey bees in Belize are virtually all now Africanized, and these
killer bees are aggressive. The use of bug spray is recommended.
|
|
|
Chagas
disease, or the "kissing bug" disease, transmitted by a bug which in
Belize is occasionally present in the thatch roofs of poorly maintained
structures and which drops down to bite and infect its victim. There is
very, very slight risk of filariasis and onchocerciasis (look'em up) in
Belize. Read more on Chagas in Wikipedia.
Dengue fever
is not common in Belize, but it does occur in the region. Dengue
Haemorrhagic Fever it has
been widespread in the Yucatán and sometimes occurs in the cayo
district in Belize,
especially during and just after the rainy season. Read more on Denque
in Wikipedia.
|
Sandflies
Sand flies are common in mangrove swamp areas and in the sand in some
areas, notably the Hopkins area, Caye Caulker, San Pedro and Placencia.
Read more on Sandflies in Wikipedia.
|
|
|
Some
people aren't much bothered by sandflies, more serious problem which
can be caused by the bites of sandlflies is leishmaniasis, a disease
which may cause the skin to develop sores, leaving scars. If infections
from sandfly bites don't seem to heal, seek out a tropical medicine
specialist. |
Malaria Cases
of malaria are rare in populated areas such as Belize City and on the
cayes. But there are still several thousand cases of malaria reported
in Belize every year, mainly in the south and in remote areas of the
north and west. Read more on Malaria in Wikipedia. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dive Emergency
|
|
|
When you land at
the airstrip in San
Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, you may notice an unusual building on
the north side of the airstrip. The building houses a Double-Lock
Recompression Chamber owned by Subaquatics of Belize Ltd. It is the
only recompression chamber in Belize.
Emergency service is
available 24 hour, everyday.
For further
infomation, please visit our Dive
Emergency Page
Emergency Phone: +501-226-2851
Phone: +501-226-3195
Fax: +501-226-2852
Email: sssbelize@aol.com
Dr. Otto Rodríguez: +501-16-3864
Antonia Guerrero: +501-16-3442
DON'T:
Over-exercise; take hot showers or baths after diving; drink alcohol,
coffee and sodas immediately before/or after; avoid getting too cold
during and after diving; avoid greasy foods; do not fly immediately
after a dive.
|
|
|
|
Emergency
|
|
|
Remain
calm, use common sense, and give assistance as needed and try to
reassure others. Make sure 911
has been
called if
people are injured or if there is a threat to life.
For further
infomation and contact numbers visit our Emergency
Page
|
|
|
|
Food and Water
|
|
|
The
safety of water
in Belize is heavily dependent upon which part of the country you're
traveling in. In many of the urban areas tap water is filtered and
considered safe to drink but visitors are advised to purchase bottled
water and avoid drinks with ice.
|
|
|
Local specialties
such as ceviche
should be avoided in the first week, to give you boday time to adjust.
Don't eat raw and undercooked meat it can cause
food-borne illness. |
|
|
|
How to get medical treament?
|
|
|
Belize has a
shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas, but treatment is
available, by generally well-trained physicians, in Belize City, on
Ambergris Caye and in larger towns such as Dangriga and San
Ignacio.
|
|
|
|
Herbal Medicine
|
|
|
Belize
has a rich tradition of natural and herbal medicine. The most
famous, Don
Eligio Panti, died in 1996 at well over age 100. Ask
locally for
recommendations on the nearest bush doctor or snake doctor.
|
|
|
The
best of
them combine natural healing with an instinct for when to direct
patients to a
local clinic or hospital. As a sample, wild tamarind tea is calming the
stomac for gastric or digestion
problems and helps you after a stressfull day. It also can reduce
malaria fever. |
|
|
|
Hospitals
|
|
|
If you become ill
in Belize, you can
get emergency care at a local public hospital or clinic. Besides
Karl Heusner
Memorial Hospital
and a variety of clinics in Belize City.
Hospital
|
Location
|
Telephone
Number |
Belize
Medical Associates
belizemedical.com
|
5791
St. Thomas Street,
Kings Park, Belize
City |
+501-223-0302
+501-223-0303
+501-223-0304 |
Karl Huesner Memorial
khmh.bz
|
Princess Margaret
Drive,
Belize
City |
+501-223-1584 |
Belize
City Hospital |
Eyre
Street,
Belize
City |
+501-227-7251
|
San Pedro
Polyclinic
II
|
San
Pedro
Ambergris Caye
|
+501-226-2536
|
Belmopan
Hospital |
Florina
Drive,
Belmopan
|
+501-822-2263
+501-822-2264 |
La Loma Luz
Hospital
|
Santa Elena
|
+501-804-2985
|
Corozal
Hospital |
Corozal
|
+501-422-2081
|
Southern
Regional
Hospital
|
Dangriga
|
+501-522-3832
|
Dangriga
Hospital |
Dangriga
|
+501-522-2084
|
Orange Walk Hospital
|
Orange
Walk Town
|
+501-322-2143 |
Punta
Gorda Hospital |
Punta
Gorda |
+501-722-2026
|
San Ignacio Hospital
|
San
Ignacio |
+501-824-2066 |
|
|
|
|
Insurance
|
|
|
Medical expenses in
Belize can be costly, so acquiring proper medical insurance coverage is
important. In fact, even if you do have insurance, many hospitals and
treatment facilities require payment at the time of service. |
|
|
|
Nursing Homes
|
|
|
There are on a few
small nursing homes in Belize and at this point we can refer any of
them. With all the expats living in Belize there is certainly a need
for a US style Belize nursing homes. The owners of nursing homes in the
US, Canada or Europe should take a look at Belize.
|
|
|
|
Pharmacies
|
|
|
Belize pharmacies
usually require a doctor's prescription for prescribed drugs. A
few drugs, such as painkillers with codeine which may require a
prescription in the U.S., are usually available over the counter in
Belize.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snakes & Scorpions
|
|
|
Belize
has about two dozen varieties of poisonous snakes, only about nine are
actually potentially lethal, along with painful stinging
scorpions. To get more information on dangeraous animals, you can visit
our Dangerous
Land Creatures or the Dangerous
Sea Creatures page.
|
|
|
The average visitor,
however, has far more to fear from traffic
accidents than any natural-born killer. Traffic accidents have become
the leading cause of death in the Belize. |
|
|
|
|
| Guide to Belize, March 2024
|