Are the doctors in Corozal good?
Grant D'Eall
My experiences with doctors in Corozal is somewhat limited. I’ve been twice to visit to a doctor. One I saw at the hospital and the other I saw at a private clinic. Hospitals, like emergency rooms in Canada and clinics in Canada often have long waits and it takes a while to see the doctor, but the doctors here are decent. They’re good. When I say “good,” do I mean that they are they as thorough as the ones in Canada that I’m...
My experiences with doctors in Corozal is somewhat limited. I’ve been twice to visit to a doctor. One I saw at the hospital and the other I saw at a private clinic. Hospitals, like emergency rooms in Canada and clinics in Canada often have long waits and it takes a while to see the doctor, but the doctors here are decent. They’re good. When I say “good,” do I mean that they are they as thorough as the ones in Canada that I’m more accustomed to? The answer would be “no” largely because they don’t have the equipment to be able to give you the tests that are often required.
Just last week I was at Dr. Punjabi‘s in Corozal with my girlfriend. Dr. Punjabi was excellent. He was very thorough, asked all the right questions and had a good clean and sterilized room. He gave good sound medical advice. The word on the street for the three years I’ve been here in Belize, is that you can get a basic level of care in Belize. If you have a an acute medical situation such as heart attack or need major surgery, for example, you won’t get things like that done here; you need to go out of the country.
One of the advantages of being in Corozal is it’s the proximity to Chetumal, in Mexico. I can get to Chetumal from here in about 35 minutes or 45 minutes depending on the border crossing time. Once you’re in Chetumal, you have to pay for your care, but you get good care. Chetumal has all the facilities there; all the equipment, and so forth. So the answer is “Yes, the doctors in Corozal are good,” but with the caveat that there’s only a standard level of care that you can get here.
In Canada we have government provided health coverage. I don’t even know what I pay for a doctor’s visit there. I just walk in and the doctor can get what I need including any testing and so forth. In Corozal, the doctor’s consulting fee is BZ $30 (US $15), which in my estimation is pretty cheap. And with the blood work that was required for my girlfriend, we paid BZ $100 (US $50) only because of the number of things that need to be tested for. The more you’re tested for, the more it costs.
Because I work with The Insurance Corporation of Belize, I have a work permit and because I have work permit I can have a Belize Social Security card. With that Social Security card I’m entitled to a level of care in hospitals in Belize including some prescription drugs. I’m able to go into the hospital without charge.
(Corozal Community Hospital, Corozal, Belize, pictured.)
Posted October 15, 2016
Mark Leonard
Northern Medical as well as a few other private clinics are available as well in Corozal Town. A medical center is being built in Chunox which will be convenient for folks near Copper Bank and Chunoz. Chetumal, Mexico is just across the border for major issues. (Northern Medical Specialty, Copper Bank, Belize, pictured.)
Northern Medical as well as a few other private clinics are available as well in Corozal Town. A medical center is being built in Chunox which will be convenient for folks near Copper Bank and Chunoz. Chetumal, Mexico is just across the border for major issues. (Northern Medical Specialty, Copper Bank, Belize, pictured.)
Posted November 12, 2016
Ed Parrish - Dumbbell Properties, LLC
The doctors in Corozal are typically trained in neighboring countries like Guatemala and Mexico. Often, they would have done residency in the United States, but this doesn't apply to all doctors in Corozal. As far as basic medical care goes, I feel like doctors in Corozal are reliable and as good as any primary care physician that you would get in the United States.Drugs are available in Corozal that you might need for high blood pressure, diabetes, or any of the common...
The doctors in Corozal are typically trained in neighboring countries like Guatemala and Mexico. Often, they would have done residency in the United States, but this doesn't apply to all doctors in Corozal. As far as basic medical care goes, I feel like doctors in Corozal are reliable and as good as any primary care physician that you would get in the United States.Drugs are available in Corozal that you might need for high blood pressure, diabetes, or any of the common illnesses that we start to see in older folks. The doctors are well versed in the treatment of illnesses and utilization of drugs.
(Dr. Steven Wells, Dr. Amore Forde, Dr. Claudia Barnett, Camilla Leviste and other volunteers from Belize Diabetes Association of New York visiting Belize, pictured. )
Posted September 15, 2017