‘Nurses and Pharmacists Scarce!’
Health and Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard says Belize continues to face shortages of nurses and pharmacists, even as the government increases support for training and retention.
He explained, “Nursing is a necessity. As you are very well aware, we have been losing some of our nurses to the bigger countries. So this is an ongoing process that we have to invest in, try to get as much of our Belizeans to study in this profession.”
Regarding pharmacists, Bernard said, “Just as nursing, pharmacy is a profession that as soon as these people finish their studies, they’re taken at the different areas. We fight with the private sector to try and get pharmacists in…because every drugstore, you have to have a pharmacy.”
He noted that the ministry “increased the salary scale for pharmacists so that we could hold onto our pharmacists as well” and that further scholarships are being planned for next year.
Bernard added that the ministry is planning ahead for staffing at the new San Pedro Hospital and the upcoming Belmopan tertiary facility. “Training takes a minimum three to five years in these areas,” he said, “so we have to plan so that by the time these hospitals become operationalised, we have the staffing that is important.”
