A project that will provide quality medical health care services to over 8,000 residents of Benque Viejo del Carmen and the surrounding villages of Calla Creek, Arenal and Succotz in the Cayo District was officially launched on Wednesday, August 26, at the project site. 

The work scope includes the demolition of the existing buildings and construction of a 4,166 square foot concrete building with additional 1,321 square feet of verandah and ramp areas. The new building will be three feet above ground level with a strip foundation, concrete floor, beams, columns and roof with a shell of block walls, aluminum windows and timber doors.  

The new clinic will provide improved health care to the residents including pre and post natal care, treatment for hypertension, diabetes, asthma, acute

The keynote speaker at the launching ceremony was Hon. Erwin Contreras, Minister of Economic Development, Commerce, Industry and Consumer Protection and Area Representative for Cayo West. Addresses were also delivered by the Hon. Pablo Marin, Minister of Health, and Nicholas Ruiz, Mayor of Benque Viejo. Cultural presentations were made by the Grupo Orchidia Negra of the Benque House of Culture and the Mount Carmel School Marching Band. 

The new Mopan Clinic Project will be implemented by the Social Investment Fund. It will be constructed at a cost of $725,000 and will be financed by the UK Commonwealth Debt Initiative (CDI and the Government of Belize through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). The Social Investment Fund is the Government of Belize’s main implementing agency of social projects aimed at addressing the basic needs of all Belizeans in an honest and transparent manner utilizing a community-based approach.  Established as a statutory body in l996, SIF has implemented 455 projects valued at $59.6 M in the areas of Water & Sanitation, Health, Economic Infrastructure, Education, Social Services, Organizational Strengthening and Micro-credit.