Welcome to Belize as we exit with one group on Thursday and wait for 61 newbies two hours later
As one group leaves, completing four villages and over forty general surgery cases, another group arrives. Here is the “Welcome to Belize” sign as the one group exits their vans in preparation for departure at the airport and another group flies in on the same planes from Southwest, United, American, and Delta. The vans are washed and cleaned quickly for the next team to dirty as they travel the country to perform village clinics, educational medical seminars and plastic surgery with ENT surgery. After dinner and a brief meeting of sub teams to prepare for Friday all headed to bed. Friday we had breakfast together at 6:30 AM and by 8 AM were at or near our hospitals to screen patients for plastic surgery and ear nose and throat. Orange Walk Hospital is 45 minutes to the south of our hotel, whereas Corozal Hospital is five minutes drive. The anesthesia team showed the president of the Nursing Council of Belize the ultrasound that will be used for the Sunday Monday training on nerve blocks. The good news is that our team raised funds to not only use this in training, but also leave the device there to be used. In so doing to advance the nerve block procedure in Belize by twenty years. In all the team is presenting two ultrasounds with probes and anesthesia repair parts with a combined value of $100,000. The educational value for the anesthesia providers would be easily another $20,000 US for the two day seminar.
CRNA Matt Yockey, Dr. Mike Hawryschuk, Dr. Will Chan and CRNA Darrell Spencer with “Spencer” holding ultrasound.
First Wave of 61 Feb 7th to 14th arrive and have hot lunch and cold water
Second Wave of travelers arrive after 3 AM wake up calls in most cases
Getting organized in the parking lot of Tony’s Hotel and Beach Resort Friday morning.