Belize’s Beloved Doctor Fernado Cuellar Loses Battle to Cancer

Belize’s beloved Doctor Fernando Cuellar lost his battle to cancer over the weekend. Earlier this month, his family released a statement informing that Doctor Cuellar was diagnosed with cancer of the blood while seeking medical attention in the U.S. And this weekend, the tragic news of his passing was announced. A release from his family notes that he passed away at the Memorial Care Saddle Back Hospital, surrounded by his children and siblings.  Dedicated, compassionate, truthful, and caring are just some of the words his colleagues and patients have used to describe him. Doctor Cuellar never shied away from the media and many times shared views that made him a hero in the hearts of many and an adversary in the eyes of some. Notwithstanding how he may have been viewed, Doctor Fernando Cuellar led a life service to the nation. News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look at his life and contributions. Here is that report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Saturday April twentieth, the nation lost one of its most revered medical practitioners, Doctor Fernando Cuellar. On April second, his family issued a statement that he had been diagnosed with blood cancer. Only eighteen days later, the unexpected occurred. Marleni Cuellar, an immediate family member of Dr. Cuellar, told us that it all came as a shock to the family.

 

Marleni Cuellar, Cousin of Deceased

“Well I think we are all still in shock. I feel for his siblings, I feel for his children. I feel for his medical colleagues, because he was a workaholic. He was always at his hospital. And, I think they had a close relationship because he was so present there. I feel for his patients because I have had people message me saying he always made me feel like his favorite patient and now that I see the outpouring of love I realize he did that for everyone and that is the truth. It is difficult to process. The cancer was rare and aggressive, and I think there was not enough time to come to terms that this would be the end result.”

 

Doctor Cuellar began his journey to becoming a medical practitioner almost four decades ago along with his longtime friend and colleague Doctor Victor Rosado. Their careers have taken similar paths since starting medical school in Guatemala City back in 1985. They both worked at the Old Belize City Hospital in the early ‘90s, later at KHMH, and finally joined forces at Belize Medical Associates in 2001. Doctor Rosado spoke with us about Doctor Cuellar’s incomparable dedication to his patients.

 

Dr. Victor Rosado, Colleague of Dr. Fernando Cuellar

“What you and many people don’t know about Dr. Cuellar or Tony, or we would call him ‘star doctor’, is that he comes from very humble beginnings. His mother was a nurse, so when we came back as junior doctors, his mother was still a sister at old Belize City Hospital, so his compassion, his caring for his patients, his flare to talk in, he would like to say, Belize language, comes from his origins. He never doubted where he came from. He never doubted where he came from. He embraced it. He loved Belize. He loved his career. That is what he lived his life for, his adult life.”

 

And many would agree that his dedication to his patients stemmed from his passion to see Belizeans receive the best healthcare service possible in both the public and private sectors. He never shied away from media interviews, whether to disseminate information on various health topics or to share his thoughts on ways those in authority can improve the level of healthcare services offered to Belizeans. Isani Cayetano, the News Director at News 5, reflected on his numerous professional encounters with Dr. Cuellar.

 

Isani Cayetano, News Director, News 5

“I think it is a major loss for the country, in terms of those who access the healthcare system both at a public and private level. It is a loss for us in the media as well, simply because he was our consultant. If we need any kind of professional opinion with anything that had to do with medicine about the local healthcare system or what have you. Dr. Cuellar was always willing to share his knowledge and expertise with us. And I think one thing I could always say that I admired about him, is his candor. He never held any punches. He always said exactly what needed to be said and took no prisoners. And so because of that perhaps others would have seen him as sort of a controversial figure, but at the same time, he was direct in what needed to be said.”

 

Dr. Victor Rosado, Colleague of Dr. Fernando Cuellar

“Actually he developed that later in life. People who know him from high school know him as a very quiet person. I think as he excelled in his professional life he felt comfortable speaking on certain topics, especially when it came to medicine with authority. He had no room for mediocrity. He didn’t like to compromise.”

 

Marleni Cuellar, Chief Executive Officer, Great Belize Productions

“He and I were always good at having debates. So, it was not a part of him I didn’t know. So, I was not as surprised as most people when he called a spade a spade. He would be the first to say well, somebody has to say it. And people to afraid about connections and what will happen so. I have nothing to lose or fear so I will say.”

 

Undoubtedly, Doctor Cuellar’s untimely passing comes as a loss to the medical sector, the thousands of patients he encountered throughout his extensive career, and the nation at large. This morning, two of his colleagues, Doctor Jorge Hidalgo and Doctor Pedro Arriaga were on the set of Open Your Eyes reflecting on Doctor Cuellar’s life and contributions.

 

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, Colleague of Dr. Fernando Cuellar

“It is very difficult to replace someone, to replace someone in that caliber and respect. Again, I believe and the news in the medical community is a news that takes everyone by surprise because even though everybody we knew that he went for treatment, I believe everybody was with the hope that he is going to put up the battle he did, and we probably was expecting a difficult outcome but life is like that. It is difficult to know what is going to happen.”

 

There has been an outpouring of love and support on social media from Belizeans to Dr. Cuellar’s family since the announcement of his passing. People have been sharing how this giant in the medical field positively touched their lives. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.