A four-day free community medical outreach organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church drew to a close this week in Belize City, after delivering no-cost care to more than 1,300 low-access and underserved Belizean residents, organizers confirmed in closing remarks.
The initiative, which launched earlier that week at the Belize City Center, brought a team of fully board-certified medical specialists from the United States and other global regions to provide complimentary consultations and care to local residents who often face barriers to accessing high-quality healthcare. Unlike temporary volunteer missions that rely on trainee providers, every clinician participating in this outreach is a practicing, experienced specialist committed to donating their time and covering all personal travel expenses to support the community, church leadership noted.
Patient turnout far exceeded initial expectations, growing steadily across the event’s four-day run. Dr. Zoraida Powell, health ministry assistant for the Belize Union Seventh-day Adventist, shared that patient numbers climbed from 230 on the first day, to 350 on the second, and reached 420 on the third day. By the final day of the outreach, lead organizers estimated the total number of people served across all services surpassed 1,300.
For local Belize City residents who accessed care, the impact of the mission was immediately clear. Evonne Longsworth, a Belize City resident and a member of the Adventist community, expressed her surprise and joy at the large turnout for the event, noting that she had long valued the church’s focus on public health messaging. “I know they have a good health message, I am an Adventist. I am so happy they came to Belize and I am amazed by the amount of people that turned out,” Longsworth said. Fellow resident Edward Belizaire echoed that positive feedback, describing the outdoor community-focused care model as unlike any medical outreach he had experienced before.
Dr. Roger Chene, director of the Amazing Facts Medical Clinic, emphasized that the event was a collaborative success, bringing together the visiting medical team, local public health authorities, and the national Adventist church to serve the community. “Everyone is very excited about the experience here. They had the opportunity to see over one thousand three hundred patients throughout the four days. So it has been a true blessing to be here. The patients are very happy to be here. They are thankful about the services they have received, working with the team, the local ministry of health and the local Seventh-day Adventist,” Chene said.
Dr. Al Powell, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Belize, highlighted the quality of care delivered, stressing that all participating providers are active, board-certified specialists who manage clinical cases daily in their home practices. “We are providing top quality medical doctors, specialist in all the areas. These are board certified in the U.S. and throughout where they serve. So we bring in quality persons that manage this stuff on a daily basis. They are no interns here. They are all persons that are committed and sacrificing time and energy and they are paying their expenses to come on this exploit to build up Belize,” Powell explained.
Looking ahead, the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Belize has announced plans to turn this successful outreach into a recurring annual event, expanding access to free high-quality care for Belizean residents into the future.