On February 28th, Projects Abroad Belize volunteers, in collaboration with other agencies, hosted a community health fair at the Central Park in San Pedro Town. Projects Abroad is an organization based in England that has been in operation since 1992. Their focus is on connecting international volunteers with projects based on their field of interest. Their projects range from childcare, conservation, youth development, women’s empowerment, international development, and more. The current Belize group is focused on healthcare.
Project leader Phillip Ramsey spoke to The San Pedro Sun about the work being done by the current Projects Abroad group. He said they conduct mobile clinics during the week in the four major areas of San Pedro Town: DFC on Tuesdays, San Pedrito on Wednesdays, San Mateo on Thursdays, and the Central area on Fridays. At these clinics, they offer a range of free tests and checkups for body mass index, blood sugar, blood pressure, HIV, and more. Ramsey said resources at the Polyclinic are often overused and people wait for hours for basic checkups and testing. Their aim with the mobile clinics is to provide relief and accessibility.
The community health fair was held to reach a wider audience and inform the community about topics such as non-communicable diseases, preventative care, and emergency services. Free testing and checkups were also offered to the public.
Projects Abroad Belize invited and saw the participation of organizations such as the Red Cross, the Youth department, the National Emergency Management Organization, Rickilee Response, and Rescue, the National Drug Abuse Control Council, the Polyclinic, and members of the Public Health Unit. Each entity had its booth set up with information pamphlets and posters indicating the services they offered. The community health fair started at 8AM and ended shortly after 2PM. The general public is invited to the next community health fair to be held on Friday, March 6th, at the Central Park.
