The Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye is always looking for ways to help the island community. They often host a special guest at their weekly meetings who share their expertise in various topics to develop leadership, learn more about their community, and hone professional skills. At a recent gathering, one of their guests was Heidi Hess from the Rotary Club of Ybor City, Florida, USA. Hess coordinated a much-needed donation of medical supplies for the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II along with the island club.
Hess shared that her club has been working with the Rotary Club in Belize City for many years, and they were more than happy this time to work with Ambergris Caye’s Rotary Club. The donation consisted of basic medical supplies such as syringes, surgical supplies, bandages, among other items that will better prepare the main island’s referral health center.
The donation took place on Friday, September 3rd, at the polyclinic. According to administrator Daisy Flores, these donations mean a lot. Due to the demand for health services, the health center runs short of supplies at times, and donations like this help the polyclinic continue offering its services. President of the Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye Kate Corrigan said that it was an honor to help facilitate this assistance for the clinic. “One of the things about Rotary is not what WE think the community needs, but what the community needs,” said Corrigan. One way to do that is by reaching out to the respective entities and finding out what is necessary to continue operating.
Hess and another colleague, Genevieve Lee-Dickson, have been coming to Belize for many years as part of Rotary and the non-profit organization Gift of Life, which works with children suffering from heart defects. They are both medical professionals; Hess is a pediatric nurse practitioner specializing in children with heart problems. Lee-Dickson is a respiratory therapist specializing in people suffering congenital heart defects and treats fetal and adult hearts.
