Hon. Erwin Contreras: “Only the blind cannot see the wave of development that has and continues to sweep like a tsunami all over Belize despite the financial legacy passed on to us by the previous administration.”
On Wednesday, April 13, the Ministry of Economic Development collaborated with the Ministry of Health and the Benque Viejo Town Council for the inauguration of the new Benque Polyclinic.
The new polyclinic will provide quality medical health care services to over 8,000 residents of Benque Viejo del Carmen and the surrounding villages of Calla Creek, Arenal and Succotz in the Cayo District. The project, was implemented by the Social Investment Fund, in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The total cost of the project is estimated at $829,162.00 and was financed by the UK Commonwealth Debt Initiative (CDI) and the Government of Belize through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The Benque Viejo Town Council contributed over $3,000 towards the demolition of the old buildings on site and preparation of the area for construction.
Minister of Economic Development, Commerce, Industry and Consumer Protection and Area Representative for Cayo West, Hon. Erwin Contreras gave the keynote address. He said to the gathering, “During my campaign I promised that if my party formed the new Government I would squander no efforts in bringing progress to Benque Viejo del Carmen and surrounding villages, which were completely abandoned for over a decade by the previous administration.” The work scope included the demolition of two buildings and front fence and construction of a 4,166 square foot concrete building. The gathering also celebrated the handing over of a new state of the art ambulance. Minister Contreras was instrumental in acquiring the ambulance from the government of Italy.
The Benque Viejo del Carmen polyclinic will provide improved health care to the residents including pre and post natal care, treatment for hypertension, diabetes, asthma, acute respiratory infection and trauma by a permanent nurse/midwife and physician. The clinic has a waiting area, an emergency room, consultations and treatment rooms, observation room, maternal and child health care room, a laboratory and pharmacy, a sterilizing room, laundry room, bathrooms, a conference room as well as Administrative offices and an office for the Public Health Inspector.
In his speech he said, “We continue to press on with the flowering and articulation and implementation of our vision: increased infrastructure activity; continuing strides in education and health; advances in agriculture leading to self-sufficiency and food security; private sector growth fuelled by cheaper credit and no new taxes; improvement in law and order; and, above all, our mantra, our gospel, our talisman: ever greater investment in, compassion for, and protection of, the poor.”
