To address staffing shortages in the country’s healthcare system, particularly in anticipation of the new hospital being built in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, the Government of Belize has launched an ambitious initiative to train more Belizeans for careers in healthcare.
On October 23rd, Minister of Health and Wellness, Honorable Kevin Bernard, announced a ten-year national healthcare training plan, representing an investment of over $20 million to develop the country’s human resources in medicine and public health. The plan will prioritize training nurses, pharmacists, and midwives, among other essential healthcare professionals.
As part of this initiative, Minister Bernard, along with his Cabinet colleague, the Honorable Oscar Requena, Minister of Education, awarded 60 scholarships to Belizean students pursuing studies in nursing, pharmacology, and midwifery. The scholarships aim to strengthen the local healthcare workforce and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign medical personnel. “This is about investing in our people and building the professions that we are lacking in Belize,” Minister Bernard said. “Nursing is a necessity, and as we know, we’ve been losing many of our nurses to bigger countries. We need to train and retain more Belizeans in these vital fields.”
Minister Requena echoed the sentiment, urging the recipients to make the most of the opportunity. “We have every confidence in you,” he told the scholarship awardees. “Study hard, persevere, and when you complete your studies, return to serve your country. Use the knowledge, skills, and values you’ve gained to strengthen our national health system.”
The program is being carried out through collaboration between the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Ministry of Education, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). According to the IDB, the project is part of a comprehensive investment strategy that supports healthcare infrastructure and digital transformation and also focuses heavily on human resource development. The goal is to build a stronger, more resilient healthcare system capable of delivering high-quality medical services nationwide.
One of the primary drivers behind this initiative is the construction of the new $33 million San Pedro Hospital, funded by the Government of Taiwan. The modern facility is already under development and will serve residents and visitors of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. Once completed, it is expected to employ approximately 250 full-time healthcare professionals and include operating theatres, laboratories, maternity units, sterilization rooms, specialist services, and a morgue.
The hospital will also reduce the need for airlifts to the mainland for emergency care and advanced medical treatment. With the government’s new training plan, many of the healthcare professionals staffing the facility are expected to be newly trained Belizeans.
Area Representative Honorable Andre Perez previously noted that, under the free movement agreement signed between Belize and three Caribbean nations — Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica — some healthcare professionals from these countries are also expected to migrate to Belize to fill key roles.
The new San Pedro Hospital is projected to be completed and opened to the public by late 2026 or early 2027, marking a significant step toward improving access to healthcare services for the island communities.
