Paul Lopez, Reporting

A Belize City mother is searching for answers tonight after the heartbreaking loss of her two‑month‑old baby boy inside the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Alicia Kuylen says she rushed little Damani to the hospital after a clinic referral, she’d noticed he suddenly stopped feeding, and she knew something wasn’t right. Now, after his unexpected passing, she’s demanding to know what happened in those critical moments of his care.

                      Voice of: Alicia Kuylen

Voice of: Alicia Kuylen, Mother of Baby Damani

“They were trying to withdraw blood from him and they couldn’t get blood, so they could not get the blood. So, they pricked all over his body, his hands, foot, everywhere. The baby was just crying, laying there and I asked the lady if they could please give him something to drink because he did not want to take the bottle. She said, what are you giving the baby to drink, right now I will make a bottle because this baby does not look like you are taking good care of him.”

Kuylen isn’t new to motherhood, she has two other children. But baby Damani, born prematurely at just thirty‑six weeks, faced added health challenges from the very start.

Voice of: Alicia Kuylen

“We came out the next day. I feel like baby belongs to  stay in hospital for observation, because they know as medical professionals that a baby liver is not fully developed as yet. I am not a medical professional. Just like how unu look at the baby and say he is alright, that is the same thing I did. I looked at my baby and said he is alright until his eyes started getting yellow. So I feel like they failed me from birth because my baby was born premature.”

Damani passed away while receiving care at the KHMH, shortly after his mother became worried about changes in his feeding. He underwent a blood transfusion. Kuylen alleges that the hospital used blood that was twenty-nine-days-old because it matched his blood type and was readily available at the time.

Voice of: Alicia Kuylen

“Then you see ih chest start move fast then I see my baby just stop move right then and there, then I get my phone because I don’t know what to do because the lady was in there and I saw her pressing her chest. But I done sih ih dead. I literally see my baby stop moving there and then the lady the press ih chest but I done sih ih dead. I literally see my baby stop breath deh. This happen five fifty-one a.m. This lady the press my baby chest. I get my phone and I the cry. I try call my sister but my sister never answer cause it is early. And I call my friend and I told him my baby just dead. He told me to keep the faith. I told him, how can I keep the faith if I done see he took his last breath.”

It’s the raw, trembling voice of a mother mourning her baby, a pain still fresh, barely a few weeks old. But, when a hospital says it is “deeply empathetic,” what does that mean for grieving parents still searching for answers? The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority has issued a statement following growing public concern and News Five’s reports about the deaths of several infants under its care. In carefully chosen words, the hospital expressed condolences, emphasized compassion, and pointed to complex medical conditions, prematurity, congenital defects, malnutrition, as contributing factors in what it described as “high-risk” cases.

But for many families and members of the public, sympathy alone is not enough. How many infant deaths prompted this response? Over what period of time did they occur? Were there warning signs that systems were failing the hospital’s most vulnerable patients, and if so, were they acted upon? While KHMH insists that clinical protocols remain in place and that neonatal and pediatric services are continuing, the statement offers few concrete details about what went wrong, what is being reviewed, or what will change moving forward.

The hospital says it is working closely with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and is bound by confidentiality and mandatory reporting laws. Those obligations are real, but so, too, is the public’s demand for accountability when newborn lives are lost inside a national referral hospital. Transparency, KHMH says, is a priority. The question now is what transparency will look like in practice, and whether it will bring clarity, reform, or reassurance to a shaken nation. As parents mourn and trust in the health system wavers, the spotlight remains firmly on KHMH: Were these tragedies unavoidable medical realities, or do they point to deeper, systemic issues in neonatal and pediatric care that can no longer be ignored?

Voice of: Alicia Kuylen

“For them to say all these bad things about me. That make me feel bad. That makes me question myself  I just want this all be over, like honestly.”

As investigations continue and families seek accountability, the nation watches closely for the transparency and reform that grieving parents say are long overdue. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

The post Mother Seeks Accountability After Infant Dies at KHMH first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                       Voice of : Alicia Kuylen

Voice of : Alicia Kuylen, Mother of Baby Damani

“They said they wa need to do a blood transfusion. So I tell her – they mi done tell me that blood transfusion noh safe for kids. So I asked the lady, I said, miss, when she come back, she said that how the only blood type, the only blood weh ih have for my baby blood type is a blood that is twenty-nine days old. And she said that, so she said, I asked her, I said, miss, would that be safe because I don’t know about those stuff. She said, I already consulted with two other doctors and they said to let me give him an injection so he doesn’t have any major reaction to the blood transfusion. I said, okay, then well they da professionals soh I di goh with what they say. I did not sleep that whole night. I was up, my baby was holding my hand. I was looking at him. I was talking to him, telling him that Mommy’s here, I love you. And then like my baby mi di move the whole while. Like as they give ah them – cause they give a seven injections with the before the blood transfusion. They say five sedative and I don’t remember the other two injections. So when they give ah that and then the blood transfusion, I see my baby like he stopped moving. He noh di say nothing again like he mi di talk to me before. Cause baby, you might say and how the baby the talk ’cause ih only two months, but baby make sounds like yeah. So we the do that ’cause I mi di video it and everything and then I just see my baby just de deh the watch me like he noh the move or nothing.  Then I see ih hand the glitch like, so I say maybe da because he cold. So I put ih hand under the, wa warmer weh they have. I put ih hand under that. Then you see ih chest start move fast. Then I see my baby just stop move right then and there. Then I get my phone because I neva know weh fi do. Because the lady deh in de and I see she the try press ih chest. But I done see ih dead. I literally see my baby stop breathe deh.”

News Five has reached out to officials at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and the Ministry of Health for comment, but up to news time, no response has been received. This is now the third infant death we’ve reported on this week, all from the same time period. Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard says he is looking into the matter. We’ll have more from Alicia Kuylen tomorrow, and we continue to seek answers from the authorities.

The post Grieving Mother Demands Answers After Baby Dies at KHMH first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

The post Grieving Family Calls for Urgent Reform After Newborn’s Death at KHMH first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                                        Lizette Bell

Lizette Bell, Deputy Director of Hospital Services, MOHW

“We are in the process of doing a feasibility study for the possible development of two new hospitals. One of them is in Punta Gorda Town and the other is in Orange Walk. So with regards to the Punta Gorda Hospital project, as that facility has been there for almost fifty-five years, the facility has really outgrown its current needs and capacity. It is important for us to look at the functionality of the current facility and that is going to determine whether we progress to a new one. There are other factors that we also consider with the Punta Gorda Hospital. For example, the issue of the distance it has to the next level of care. As its referrals center is Stann Creek, the Southern Regional Hospital. So it’s almost two hours away from the next level of care and it does not have surgical services offered at Punta Gorda. With regards to the Northern Regional Hospital similarly we are at the point of doing the feasibility study. That facility however is almost forty-four years old and you can see that the facility literally also has outgrown its capacity. There are many times our maternity ward is at a bit occupancy of over a hundred percent where we have to be finding space in the surgical unit to host these patients. The emergency room, I know you are aware that the emergency room as well is very small. The area for accessing for trauma care and even the observation. The population in Orange Walk has been growing. We must remember too that the Northern Regional Hospital also provides services to Corozal District.”

The post Government Moves Forward on Two New Regional Hospitals first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                               Eusebio Espinoza Jr.

Eusebio Espinoza Jr., Son of Deceased

“Like five forty-five we reached the hospital and checked in at triage. The nurse checked my dad’s vitals, diabetic, pressure, I told her my dad is not a diabetic person. He feels sick because of his prostate enlargement and he suffers from high blood pressure. I asked to please rush him in to put the drips on him. She said, sir we have to go through our procedures. I said, aright I understand. From there the nurse took in the paper in emergency room and told us to wait outside triage. So, we wait. My girlfriend told me babe won’t they check dad, because time is going. I told her I will go check. I said, goodnight can you please check my dad because he done check triage and is in a lot of pain. They said, goodnight we are busy, you need to wait outside. I told them alright. But at the same time they had a lot of patients, a lot of kids that night. So, everybody the go through their things, and I don’t want to be grumpy. I try being patient. I gone check. Til after about four times. Before I went in, the prime minister Mr. Briceno came in and I told him good night, sir. He said, is that your dad, don’t you want to go in? I told him, sir everything ok, just the wait out. Prime minister gone and check on his people. Before my dad’s pulse gone very low then the prime minister come back and watched us and said, how old your dad. I said, sir he is ninety-two. Minister Briceno told me, I won’t live to reach those age. I said, sir you just have to eat right and you will see those ages. But before he gone he told me, you don’t want to go in? I said, no sir. After he went, my girlfriend rushed in when he saw my dad no breathing. She said, my father in law is not breathing. That is when all the nurses, doctors, started to rush and bring him in. He carried him in and they put him on the machine. One of the doctors called me and told me that we checked your dad and no vitals. It hurt me because I was waiting there for an hour.”

The post Family Seeks Answers Following Elderly Man’s Death at NRH first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

He explained, “Nursing is a necessity. As you are very well aware, we have been losing some of our nurses to the bigger countries. So this is an ongoing process that we have to invest in, try to get as much of our Belizeans to study in this profession.”

Regarding pharmacists, Bernard said, “Just as nursing, pharmacy is a profession that as soon as these people finish their studies, they’re taken at the different areas. We fight with the private sector to try and get pharmacists in…because every drugstore, you have to have a pharmacy.”

He noted that the ministry “increased the salary scale for pharmacists so that we could hold onto our pharmacists as well” and that further scholarships are being planned for next year.

Bernard added that the ministry is planning ahead for staffing at the new San Pedro Hospital and the upcoming Belmopan tertiary facility. “Training takes a minimum three to five years in these areas,” he said, “so we have to plan so that by the time these hospitals become operationalised, we have the staffing that is important.”

The post ‘Nurses and Pharmacists Scarce!’ first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Minister Kevin Bernard said, “This is a program that has been ongoing over the past few years, and it has grown. Last year, we did about 40 scholarships. This year we’re doing 60.”

He thanked the Ministry of Education for supporting 15 of the bachelor’s nursing scholarships, while the Ministry of Health identified additional funding for 14 bachelor’s scholarships, nine for practical nursing, and 20 for midwifery. The Inter-American Development Bank supported two pharmacy scholarships.

“For me, this is always about investing in our people and making sure that we are able to train and build on the profession that we are lacking in Belize,” Bernard said.

He added that the total value of the scholarships exceeds $1.1 million and that the ministry hopes to increase the number each year.

The post Health Ministry Expands Scholarships for Medical Students first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Minister of Health and Wellness Kevin Bernard confirmed that the board is already taking steps to fill the post. “I understand that the board has met already and they’re working on the terms of reference that will be put out for advertising,” he said. “I spoke to my CEO who also sits on the board of KHMH. I don’t engage with board matters; as you know, that’s not my priority.”

Bernard said the goal is to move quickly. “We’re hoping that we could get these advertisements out as quickly as possible so we could find a suitable person to replace Ms Canino, who has chosen to move on,” he stated. He added that the ministry wishes her well in her next steps.

He also said the government will look carefully for the right replacement, “We have to ensure that we have the right person that can lead the facility, that can help and work closely with our board as well to ensure continuity and improvement and sustainability at KHMH.”

The minister noted that no timeline can be given for when vacancies will go out for the post, as the board is still meeting to finalise the details.

The post Who Will Replace Cansino as KHMH CEO? first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                     Kevin Bernard

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness

“The new pediatrics wing  in the Northern Regional Hospital has been a joint project with the Rotary group. I know that we at the government, and I must commend the Prime Minister, when we initially wherever we met way back, I believe in early 2021 with the people at Rotary and we committed that the government will fund additional money for us to be able to build that pediatric wing. And so we know that when the work was procured. And the contractor was able, and I must say though, the contractor is moving very fast. And I believe that we will be able to see us from moving into that facility very soon and hopefully by early next year.”

The post Pediatric Wing Coming Soon to Northern Regional Hospital first appeared on Greater Belize Media.