By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Oct. 23, 2025
Belize is constantly losing qualified and trained nurses, who migrate to other countries that offer higher salaries and more employment benefits, and the Ministries of Health and Wellness and Education, in a ceremony at the Belize City Civic Center on Wednesday morning, October 22, moved to address this trend by awarding 60 scholarships for students to study nursing or pharmacy at the University of Belize.
The scholarship recipients included 29 students enrolled in UB’s Bachelor of Science nursing program, while 9 are enrolled in the practical nursing program, 20 are studying to become midwives, and two are studying pharmacy. They all signed bond agreements to render 4 years of service to the Ministry of Health upon graduation.
This $1,109,000 investment is funded in part by the Inter-American Development Bank, which has partnered with the Health Ministry in a project to strengthen the health sector with infrastructure and digital transformation to make the top-quality care accessible to all in the most remote rural areas. The project includes a scholarship component, which provides for 30 health professionals to further their education, as IDB country economist for Belize, Camilo Pecha explained. Health workers are the heart of the system, and the investment is intended to develop a more resilient, efficient and equitable health sector for all Belizeans.
The government will invest over $20 million in training over the next 10 years for the health care workers: doctors, nurses and other specialists, through a plan approved by Cabinet on Tuesday, Minister of Health Hon. Kevin Bernard pledged to the students. The event was “a major milestone in our journey towards universal health coverage for all Belizeans, and ensuring that every Belizean, no matter where they live, has access to quality healthcare”, he affirmed.
Good health is key to economic development, Minister of Education Hon. Oscar Requeña declared at the ceremony. “Investing in our human resource to ensure that we develop the right knowledge, skills, attitudes and values, and the technical know-how” is the key, he said.
Chief Nursing Officer, Lizett Bell, deputy director of Hospital Services and Allied Health, welcomed the novice nurses and midwives, noting that their commitment would foster a new generation of qualified professionals. “The scholarship acts as a means to ensure a return in service. … It’s about promoting the growth of the healthcare system and the health of the Belizean population,” she remarked, adding that the scholarships would “help to alleviate some of the financial burden” that the students may have in relation to their studies. This would help to promote their academic performance, and the students would have more time to focus on completing their program.
The students were each accompanied by their sureties, who co-signed the bond agreement — thus committing to repay the value of the scholarship, $23,464.10, if the students renege on their pledge to provide four years of service to the country.
