Over the past week, dozens of patients at the KHMH who needed surgeries finally got off the waiting list thanks to the extra assistance from the North American Taiwanese Medical Association. It's a team of doctors and other healthcare professionals who travel around the region to solidify Taiwan's diplomatic friendships through medical assistance.
Today, we caught up with them making the rounds at the KHMH. Courtney Menzies has this story.
Seventy five medical professionals who form part of the North American Taiwanese Medical Association are in Belize on a mission. They've been deployed to three of the largest hospitals in the country, and at KHMH, the surgical team has been assisting with clearing the backlog of elective surgeries for the past four days.
The surgical team includes general surgeons, breast surgeons, gynecologists and eye surgeons. The chief of the unit, Dr Clifford Eke, explained the types of surgeries they've done in the last few days.
Dr Clifford Eke, Chief, Surgical Unit, NATMA Medical Missions
"The types of surgeries we've done so far includes cholecystectomies and now we're trying to do it laparoscopic, meaning we use the camera for the incisions as opposed to open where you open the entire abdomen where it's more painful, so the laparoscopic is minimum invasive and patients go home the same day and less pain. Other surgeries we've done, thyroid surgeries, ileostomy closure, people who have ileostomy and where a bag, we have patients who have breast cancer, we do mastectomies, hernias, of course eye operations, etc."
"We're doing the surgeries in the hospitals, the three hospitals. The primary health team is actually traveling different parts of the country and giving preventative care screening, health screening, and primary care treatment."
And according to the hospital's CEO, these patients would normally still be on the waiting list for their surgeries. And the director of medical services explained that this process began weeks ago with the selection of patients.
Chandra Cansino, CEO, KHMH
"We're very grateful for their support, also supported by the Taiwanese Embassy and so they are here to provide any support in areas we have, in areas that we don't have and that includes oncology. It also includes other areas like cholecystectomies, thyroidectomy surgeries, etc., and so it would really help us, some of these patients would have had to go abroad for treatment and some of them would have had to wait until perhaps a surgeon was available so it would really help Belizeans on a whole who needs these services to access one."
Dr Yvone Swan, Director, Medical Services, KHMH
"The process didn't start just this week, it has started over the past few weeks. So we get together we have had communication virtually, we pick the patients, we get patients and when they come to Belize, the team, they actually get a chance to meet the patients, determine if they're fit for surgery then we can proceed with a list."
"We actually have patients that are referred to us and those are the ones that are picked and from that we of through and see who can be ready for surgery."
One area that was prioritized was the oncology unit, and according to Dr Ramon Yacab, the team has assisted about 20 patients with tumor removals - and during Cancer Awareness Month.
Dr Ramon Yacab, Medical Oncologist, KHMH
"It came as a big opportunity for our patients. It is Cancer Awareness Month and a number of cancer cases have been increasing. We've been having an increase in colon cancer and especially breast cancer and it came as an opportunity that the visiting team came in along with colorectal surgeons and breast surgeons so our patients are benefitting from it, those patients who require surgery are getting surgery in a very timely manner."
And the patients themselves are grateful - including a 59 year old woman recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and a 55 year old who needed her thyroid removed.
Voice of: Daughter of Patient
"My mom got her surgery last night. She pretty much went through a quick process, we found out about 3 weeks ago and since then we've been doing checkups and we found out about the team and the Dr Yacab who referred us was very efficient in getting her an appointment and now we're here."
"It was so much relief, it was very much good news to know that we could get a second opinion, we don't have to travel far and move her, especially in the condition she was in and it relieved a lot of burden on us and it's been a very helpful process through a difficult time."
Voice of: Patient
"I got a full thyroidectomy, they took out my whole thyroid because I had a big growth on my neck and I would have had to wait until December to do the surgery. I am very grateful for the team who came in and did such an efficient work. I will be going home today to my family and I thank God for that."
The team has one more day in Belize before they're off on another mission.
Members of the contingent have also been deployed to the Western and Northern Regional Hospitals.
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