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And from a health fair to kidney care.....last week we told you about 22 year old Keith Moguel – the dialysis patient who had to relocate from Mango Creek so he could receive dialysis three times per week at the Healthcare Partners Hospital. Well if the hospital’s CEO Dr. Venny gets his way – in the future patients won’t have to relocate for treatment. That is because today Telemedia gave the hospital a new van which will they’ll convert into a mobile dialysis and home healthcare unit. Hospital CEO Dr. Venny told us how it will be used.

Dr. Venny, Healthcare Partners
“The van is going to be used for three purposes. One is for example say somebody needs haemodialysis and say they are in Karl Heusner or Medical Associates, Belmopan, they can’t be moved then we can get to them. Second, the biggest benefit from this is going to be the other two areas, one would be there are starting a peritoneal dialysis program which is a home based dialysis program. So we can monitor the patient, we can take supplies for example and things like that.

The last item we are going to try to implement is that at this time in Belize there is no organized home healthcare program. Say for example somebody got a stroke and they can’t be easily moved from house to the clinic then the doctor or nurse can go, provide the service at home. So basically what we are going to try to do is instead of the patient coming to the doctor, the doctor or nurse will go to the patient.”

Keith Swift,
Will the cost be the same?

Dr. Venny,
“We are not going to be charging anything extra for the van if that is what you’re asking.”

Home healthcare services will be available immediately but only within the city. The van should be outfitted with its haemodialysis unit by August. Healthcare Partners plan to acquire 3 more haemodialysis machines – one of which will be placed in the van. That will bring the number of units in the country to 6, all of them at the Healthcare Partners Hospital.