Taiwan Trains K.H.M.H Radiologist for Re-established Unit

The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital has four newly-trained radiologists to complement its Radiology Unit. The project was initially introduced in 2019, but was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as business returned to normal, efforts were renewed to re-establish the unit. The hospital, along with the Taiwan Embassy, through its new Ambassador to Belize, Lily Li-Wen Hsu, and the Ministry of Health, has opened a radiographer training program after the first four trained radiographers recently returned from Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.

Lily Li-Wen Hsu

Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Belize

“Belize and Taiwan have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership over more than three decades now. Among the many areas of our bilateral corporation, health has always been one of our top priorities. Over the years, Taiwan has continued to assist Belize in the advancement of its medical care and medical technology, as well as its public health system in various ways. Today’s opening ceremony for the National Assistant Radiographer training program is another shining example of the commitment to such an important area of our bilateral corporation. Likewise, Belize has strongly advocated for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization and its annual assembly.”

Kevin Bernard

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health, Wellness

“It was little after I became the Minister of Health that they decided to rename the radiographers that would go out to the Taiwan to get this training. Remember one of the things that we have always tried to do is to up our ante in terms of diagnostic testing and so forth. So the opportunity that four radiographers that went out, that we identified across the country to go out and get the skill is to be able to come back to Belize, impart that same knowledge to other radiographers in country. Now we are working along with the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital to see if there can be more training programs, which they have committed to come in and oversee the program we are doing here locally. Now do we have the type of equipment that, that, that Taiwan has? That’s a challenge. We are trying to see how we can improve on those things as well. So the demand we have is now to bring up the speed or diagnostic system that exists at both K.H.M.H and across the country. Yes, we have had assistance from the Taiwanese Government in terms of affording us the ability to get digital x-ray machines. Those have been deployed across the country, and that is the reason why these radiographers had to go out and train so that they know how to analyze and utilize those systems that exist. Now, it’s about improving service delivery to our Belizean people.”

Chandra Nisbet-Cansino

Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, C.E.O., K.H.M.H

“Radiology is a key diagnostic tool for many diseases, particularly at a tertiary care facility like the K.H.M.H, and supports diagnosis, monitoring and treatment, and consequently improving outcomes, with ever increasing advances in technology in radiology, this field has become crucial to the administration of medical care and improved patient results. Training is very critical to ensure the proper delivery of all aspects of care, and even more so in radiology, which is a highly technical field. The aim of this projects most certainly aligns with the aim of the K H M H, which is to offer the best in medical care through a digitized radiology system.”