A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to officially inaugurate the Belize Medical Associates (BMA) San Pedro Clinic located at the Grand Caribe premises, north of Ambergris Caye on Saturday, September 7th. Present at the ceremony was Grand Caribe Manager Sean Feinstein, Belize Medical Associates Board Chairman Dr. Marcelo Coyi, Person in Charge of BMA San Pedro Clinic Dr. Renae Sersland, Mayor Daniel Guerrero, Rickilee Response & Rescue President (Triple R) Billy Leslie, Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II Administrator Eric Najarro, councilors Flora Ancona and Ruben Gonzalez, BMA doctors and other guests.
At 1:30PM guests gathered at the top of the building of the BMA to hear a few words shared by Dr. Coyi and Feinstein. They then proceeded downstairs for the ribbon-cutting activity to officially inaugurate BMA’s San Pedro Clinic.
Attendees were then given a tour of the clinic while learning about the different medical services offered. After the tour, attendees enjoyed a cocktail reception upstairs of the clinic, where they socialized with other guests and got to know more about BMA and its doctors.
Grand Caribe’s Feinstein shared with The San Pedro Sun that this fully equipped clinic needed on the island. “All combined together we have about 360 employees, and with the resort growing and more people residing here, that created a need for a proper medical care facility. Everyone who stays/resides at Grand Caribe loved everything we had to offer, however, the number one question/concern was what if I get ill?, what if I broke a leg, I have a condition or get injured, and there is not a proper clinic/hospital to deal with it?. Honestly, we didn’t have an answer for them, and because of not having proper medical services available, many people didn’t want to come to the resort or the island. We knew we had to build it, so, if I built it, how do I run it? I didn’t know anything about medical services at that time. I was friends with some of the doctors of BMA, so I reached out to them if they would be interested in having a medical facility here in San Pedro Town. They said yes, so I bought everything needed and filled it with the best equipment available,” said Feinstein. He further highlighted that you could get the same services offered at their main hospital in Belize City here at their clinic in San Pedro Town. “They committed the personnel to run it, but I built it and installed all the equipment needed. The total costs of the facility are around six million dollars and the amount put for the hospital in terms of the equipment, beds/ furniture’s and other stuff is around three million dollars,” said Feinstein.
Dr. Coyi also spoke with The San Pedro Sun. “The need for proper medical services has always been a need in San Pedro Town, so we decided to partner with Feinstein to install BMA’s San Pedro Clinic.” He further shared what BMA’s San Pedro Clinic hopes to do in the next couple of years. “In the future, we want to offer 24 hour-service and provide helicopter transportation to the Belize City hospital for patients that would need further medical care. Another vision, if there is a need of it, is to convert the clinic into a 24 hours hospital service on the island to bring good quality health care.” Dr. Coyi reiterates that the BMA Clinic is open and welcomes all residents of Ambergris Caye.
Since the clinic opened on June 17, 2019, they have been offering full-day medical services to the general public, which includes physician consultations, full clinical laboratory, pharmacy, digital X-rays, and ultrasound services. All these are backed by their experienced staff at the main hospital in Belize City. Dr. Renae Sersland is the full-time practitioner at the BMA San Pedro Clinic, and there are specialist doctors available on weekly/biweekly rotations. Weekly doctors include Pediatricians Dr. Victor Rosado and Dr. Mirtha Ochoa, Gynecologist/Obstetrician Dr. Marcelo Coyi and Dr. Anna Coen, Internist Dr. Filberto Cawich and Dr. Mark Musa, and Radiologist Dr. Guevarra. Meanwhile, biweekly specialists include Orthopedist Dr. Francis Smith, General Surgeon Dr. Pedro Gonzales, Dermatologist Dr. Jorge Lopez, Urologist Dr.Urroz, Neurologist Dr. John Sosa, Nutritionists Mr. Duran, Mental Health Counselor Ms. Cindi Rosado, and Professional Counselor Ms. Amiee Jex.
The BMA San Pedro Clinic’s opening hours are from Monday to Friday, from 8AM to 5PM and Saturdays from 9AM to 12PM. To make appointments or for more information about medical fees, feel free to call 226-2262
About BMA:
In response to a growing need for professional quality health care and proper health facilities in Belize, five doctors met and decided to find a solution, this humble beginning in 1988 gave birth to Belize Medical Associates. As a leader in Belizean health care for more than 31 years in Belize City, they believe that you deserve the best clinical expertise and service they can offer. BMA is considered one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country, due to its excellence and commitment to providing the highest ethical and academic standards of health care. BMA hopes to bring their same mission of providing the highest quality of healthcare services by qualified and experienced health care professionals, complemented by the use of modern technology to the San Pedro Clinic.
 San Pedro Clinic located at Grand Caribe, North Ambergris Caye.){kind=link}