Baron Bliss Day

Baron Bliss Day, a national holiday is celebrated today, Monday, March 7th, providing a three day weekend.

The fourth Baron Bliss of the Kingdom of Portugal, Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, was an Englishman by birth. In 1926, he sailed in his yacht Sea King to Belize and fell in love with the green Caribbean Sea, the cayes and balmy climate.

The Baron came to Belize from Trinidad, where he was a victim of food poisoning. He spent some months off the coast of Belize aboard the Sea King, attempting to recover from this illness. He never came ashore. Fishermen and colonial administrators treated him kindly and taught him about Belize. The Baron died of food poisoning, but not before he changed his will, leaving almost $2 million dollars to Belize in a trust fund. The fund is used for the benefit of Belizeans and has made possible the building of the Bliss Institute Library and Museum in Belize City, health clinics and markets around the country, and has helped with the Belize City water supply system. The Baron is considered Belize's greatest benefactor.

Part of the trust was designated for an annual boat regatta which is held every year in honor of the Baron. The focus of Baron Bliss Day in Belize City is this regatta. Other towns in Belize celebrate the day by having small boat races and parties.

There is a Baron Bliss Memorial Lighthouse and Park located in Belize City in the Fort George Area. The Baron's tomb lies under the lighthouse overlooking the harbor entrance to the city.

The Art of Life - Tiny Stories

By Chris Emmanuel

“Words only have the power we choose to give them”

I am having a bad day.

He did it on purpose.

She let me down.

They are wrong.

These are the tiny stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions. When life doesn’t go the way we expect, we need to find a way to satisfy the small self. They are mostly a complaint to assert our behavior to others-designed to render judgment making rights and wrongs. We create unreal boundaries to push others down and build ourselves up. Through these boundaries we create enemies, most often never understanding the truth of a situation.

This is how we create suffering. Through time we block ourselves in, only gathering around us those who fit within the wall of our ego. And if that’s not enough, we tell others these tiny stories and spread poison on each other gathering disciples to justify our position. So many people today have lost the ability to think and not knowingly given their minds over to gossip, media, society and their peers. Brainwashing is always going on.

How nice life would be without these tiny stories that create divisions between people. How nice it would be to get the truth about what really happened. The great thing about a small island is you know everyone. The bad thing is that you know everyone. Suffering starts when we start naming or labeling our situation. Next time you find yourself suffering because of a tiny story, ask yourself: why do I let other people’s words and ideas become so important to me? Then spend your time focusing on what you want to get out of life.

Books by Christopher Emmanuel can be purchased at his Art Gallery in the Sun breeze Hotel, Art of Touch, Pages Book Store, Black orchid Spa and Sol Spa.

When medicine and politics mix...

What do Medicine and Politics have in common? According to Patty Arceo and Dr. Giovanni Solorzano: a lot. Both were speakers at AGUSM (American Global University School of Medicine) on Friday, February 25th, 2011. Students have a variety of courses to take during the week, but on Fridays they get to listen to invited guests that, more often than not, can guide them and answer some burning questions.
Patty Arceo, former minister under the PUP administration, spoke at length of the many programs within the Ministry of Health that are geared towards the improvement of health care in Belize. According to Arceo, Belize’s health care is sub-standard, more on par with other Central American countries than within UN standards. Even with approximately 200 volunteer doctors and health care specialists who come from Cuba, the fact that they only have the basic equipment means that any help they render is limited.While for many in the modern world medicine is something that is natural to turn to, and education has taught us to go to our doctors for advice and help, Arceo stated that for much of the population, cultural taboos mean that not all will seek help. She used the example of the cultural differences of the Maya, especially in the southern region of Belize. While for many, having children at the age of 11 or 12 is unfathomable, due to differences in culture, that age is not too young for a Mayan girl to start a family. However, with education, that mindset has slowly been changing.
There is a lot that needs to happen for these changes to move forward at as fast a pace as our population seems to be growing. Legislations, creating a bill of rights for all three involved, patient, doctor and institution, is where politics comes into play. Arceo also mentioned the fact that the changing of administration sometimes means that programs get cut halfway, or do not receive the same kind of support as with previous administrations. Studies that take up to 10 years to complete are in jeopardy, and in the process, so is health, when the Ministry of Health’s key players change.
Dr. Giovanni Solorzano, Deputy Director at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), is also a quality assurance physician, and he also presented his views to the gathered students. Quality assurance, according to Solorzano, is relatively new to Belize – but has become very important as there is a definite need for accountability, especially with the number of physicians who immigrate to Belize. Having a cohesive plan of action provides standards that all doctors must adhere to.
Solorzano also stated that up to 1999, healthcare was free. Then National Health Insurance (NHI) came into effect, based on recommendations by the Inter-Development Bank (IDB) and World Health Organization (WHO). However, despite being in existence for over 10 years, NHI still only serves about 1/3 of the entire population of Belize – with most of the beneficiaries being from the Southern districts and Southside Belize.
NHI was originally scheduled to cover all Belizeans, having been implemented by the PUP administration. After the changing of government, NHI was stopped, due to lack of funds. The only way that NHI is running is through the usage of Belize’s National Social Security funds. Government only allocated around 4.5% of the national budget to healthcare, and the issue is finding money to provide proper healthcare to ALL Belizeans. Solorzano then laid out some suggestions for funding, maintaining that above all, government needs to work with the medical professionals to streamline the system, providing more of what the population needs, and less of what it doesn’t.
As director of the KHMH, Solorzano is well aware of the need for funding for national healthcare. In order to provide proper service via the national hospital, $23million is needed to run KHMH. Only $18million is provided by the government. Ultimately, those that suffer are the patients. While there is a lot to be desired in the Belize healthcare system, in particular when it comes to Maternal Health and Early Childcare, Diabetes, and Emergency healthcare, there is still a lot of progress. Education campaigns for cleanliness, HIV/AIDS education, as well as Mental Health awareness have brought many people and volunteer groups together to help provide a service.
For those who plan on becoming doctors, including those at AGUSM, there is a lot to be learned about medicine and politics, and educating oneself early on makes for a better transition.

From the Belize Bureau of Standards

(Second Run...)

Press Release - Belmopan - 4th March, 2011 - The Belize Bureau of Standards hereby informs on the introduction of the National Metrology Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Regulation 2011.
This Regulation requires all suppliers to have weighing instruments at their place of sale/business and all motor vehicles used for delivery of LPG must also be equipped with weighing instruments. Any person who intends to trade in LPG must complete the application form found in the First Schedule of the Regulation and submit along with the application form a non-refundable fee, the weighing instrument and any other necessary documentation that the Director may require. The application form is to accommodate an initial verification of the weighing instrument, the prescribed mark of verification or the Belize Bureau of Standards Verification Sticker and pattern approval in accordance with the Act.

Any person not in possession of a weighing instrument may submit a request to the Director for the approval of information relating to the weighing instrument in place of the actual weighing instrument before making the purchase. To attain approval, the following information pertaining to the weighing instrument should be submitted:

1. Details of the manufacturer
2. Model Number
3. Serial Number
4. Capacity
5. Scale Interval
6. Evidence of international pattern approval

All weighing instruments must be verified and stamped with the Belize Bureau of Standards verification sticker before used for trade. The weighing instruments will also be sealed at the point of verification. This is to ensure transparency and to assure consumers of the accuracy of the scale.

It also sets out the general requirements for the weighing instruments that will be allowed for trade in the LPG industry. These include the following:

1. A precision balance
2. Platform machine
3. A self-indicating weighing instrument ( including a price computing or printing electronic weighing machine)
4. Non-automatic weighing machine

Additionally, all weighing instruments must carry the following marking:

1. The manufacturer’s name written in full

2. Maximum capacity in the form “Max….”
3. Minimum capacity in the form “Min…”
4. Verification scale interval in the form “e=”

It is prohibited for any person to use a weighing instrument that is not clearly visible to the purchaser.

Any person found in contravention of these Regulations commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a penalty of $5000.00 and or imprisonment of 6 months or both.
Any person engaged in the sale of LPG prior to the commencement of these Regulations must comply with these regulations within 30 days of the date of commencement.

Smile Clinic back in San Pedro

The San Pedro Smile Clinic was back on the island providing dental care to the children of San Pedro. The volunteers held clinic at the Holy Cross Anglican School from Monday February 28th through Wednesday, March 2nd 2011. This time around volunteer dentist, Dr. Tom Anderson and his daughter Megan Anderson from Michigan, provided services to the children of the island.

The smile clinic continues to brightening smiles and remedying cavities to children on the island.

While the Clinic is based out of Holy Cross, all the children of San Pedro are invited and welcomed to utilize the services of the Clinic. Services provided include extractions, fillings and cleaning among other dental services. Assisting the Dentists at the Smile Clinic are four volunteers currently at the Holy Cross School from Hanover College in Indiana.

The San Pedro Smile Clinic takes this opportunity to once again thank everyone that has contributed to the continued success of the Smile Clinic. The next clinic is scheduled for March 14th – 15th 2011.