Business View Caribbean | March 2019

6 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN MARCH 2019 for her country, “It is an honor to support this project because it has a real impact on people’s lives.” She said that the United Kingdom is supporting the second phase of the Smart Health Facilities Initiative in seven Caribbean countries with more than £39 million pounds-sterling. The Project is being implemented in Dominica, Belize Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The EU also joined the project in Belize. Nicolaus Hansmann, head of the EU team in Belize, highlighted the contribution of €7 million for the project – which also includes a laboratory – and said that this support not only seeks to ensure changes to the facilities, but also aims to improve the quality of care and contribute to the country’s national health plan. Hansmann mentioned that the creation of a national implementation committee will be important to ensure project accountability. The project in Belize has advanced in a variety of ways. So far, a safety assessment has been carried out in the facilities using a guide developed by PAHO, as well as an index that determines how green they are and what measures can be taken to reduce their carbon footprint. The redesign of the first six selected health institutions has also been completed, staff have been trained, and meetings held with the community in order to receive their input. The first works are expected to begin within the next three months in the San Ignacio community hospital. “It is imperative that we prepare ourselves to become more resilient,” said Ángel Campos, Secretary of State for Health at the Belize Ministry of Health. “Valuable contributions from international partners and local work will enable us to be better prepared to face natural disasters in the future,” he added. Dr. Noreen Jack, PAHO/WHO representative in Belize, said that the initiative is timely as “climate change is upon us. The health sector must therefore be prepared and resilient when natural and other disasters strike.” The interventions that will be carried out to ensure that the health facilities are more resilient include improvements to the ceilings so that they can withstand heavy rain, wind, and hurricanes; structural improvements to prevent buildings from collapsing in the event of an earthquake; and the installation of solar panels to enable energy savings. Changes are also foreseen in the circulation of patients and the work of health personnel, as well as to improve ventilation and ensure that the facilities are more accessible for people with disabilities. Together, all of these interventions will ensure the provision of better-quality health care for the population. It is imperative that we prepare ourselves to become more resilient