This is a post from last year. This is not a new problem.


It's nice... and a bit frustrating I suppose... to see this thread start again. As part of Bandage International, my colleagues (emergency room docs, advanced paramedics, and nurses) and I have been to AC 8 times, runing training sessions with ACER, hotel staff, and whoever could and would come.

Our goal from the start was to set up a chain of survival system where an injured/sick person could be met by a first responder and transferred to more appropriate care with increasing knowledge and ability to act. We have trained over 500 people in country but the goal of keeping this "system" in place is elusive because the players change and it only seems to get "popular" when something happens.

We have gone so far as to offer (to mayor and area rep) coordination of setting up a non-profit ER on the caye to to help bring in volunteer physician and medic staff from Canada/US in high season. Any and all donations would back to the clinic and all followups to the local docs to help smooth the political waters. Also expressed pleasure to work with the locals docs. In the end, No interest.

We tried to have an emergency health summit last year. The phrase "herding cats" comes to mind.

The bottom line is that having a real chain of care is by no means impossible but requires citizens (expat and local), government, and business to make this a priority and sit down and sort it out. Until that happens, good will and good effort by many bringing equipment and instruction will help a bit but never really attain the syste that is optimal.

As always, we are happy to participate in this process in any way we can with planning, ideas, time, and money, but it really needs to be taken more seriously by more people at the same time.

As always, I love the place and the people but feel a little frankness is required in this conversation. Hope to see you all soon.

Dr. John

btw Costa Maya has an AED and have staff trained in its use and there was one at the South Neighborhood watch station.

Possibly now the area rep will do what is right. Politics controls all our health care, just a few months ago our area rep could not even get funds to fix the roof on the PolyClinic, now he says we will expand the hours and get more doctors. That still will not fix our situation. WE MUST HAVE A HOSPITAL. Obviously there are many who wish to help us but have been prevented from helping as much as they could by politics.