Solidarity Blog of our doctors in Peru - December 2007/February 2008
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| We hoped that to traverse of the binnacle we have obtained, not only contaros our experience, but to have been able to shape another reality and to take us to all to a reflection on the enormous social and economic inequalities that exist in the world. We can deciros from here that is possible to collaborate in the improvement of this situation with small efforts, reason why we commit ourselves to leave a door opened with these people. Pediros that you do not forget them. Thanks to all to follow and to support to us to us. | |
| During these days we have continued with the medical attention in the clinic, in schedules morning and late. Our work has been of support to the personnel who, luckily, for months has been dedicating part of its time to work in the center. Not always there are people whom by a minimum remuneration they love to offer his services to take care of the most needed. Also we have had the opportunity to know a slug health of the zone, of the hand of Betty, a medical one that has been collaborating for a year in the clinic. The slug is located in an outlying area of recent creation. The means which it has, the hygiene and the activity of the center are greater than in Checca, although like there, all the patients who are taken care of have the Integral Insurance of Salud (SIS) because they are considered population with minimum economic resources (poverty and carries far poverty). The numbers of undernourishment get to be similar to the described ones for the rest of the country, a 35%. Jorge, the gynecologist who has been going to the clinic for more than ten years, invited to us to visit the service of gynecology of the general hospital of Ayacucho. He knows it from his beginnings, at the time of the terrorism in Peru, where taking care of wounded military prioritized on the maternal-infantile attention. Thanks to the work of Jorge and other gynecologists a service has been created that has allowed to reduce maternal-infantile mortality significantly and from that they take note for other zones of Peru. In spite of the work, we have been able to know the environs of Ayacucho, like Quinua and Pampas where the last battle between the patriotic army and the realist took place ("the conquerors"), and the company/signature of the capitulation that marked the aim of the Spanish domination in South America. The preparations of the ayacuchano carnival begin, a celebration of national interest. Different parades from rocks and charangas already cheer the city. The children festejan it loading with full water globes that "distribute between the passers-by". Our time in Peru finishes in the next days. Let us think that we have fulfilled our objective, to take to us to a greater knowledge of the deficiencies and necessities that a good part of this population has. |
Ayacucho
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| We arrived later at Ayacucho of Kings after a trip in a small plane from Lima. Thus we initiated a new walking in Peruvian territory... Ayacucho is a small city decorated by multiple churches and colonial large houses, with a warmer climate, we have descended to the 2,800 m.s.n.m. We went to the convent of the Franciscanos, located in downtown, where the Father Marks hopes to us. The Father is the director not only of the convent but also of the clinic of health Peace and Well and of the school who takes working forty years. The convent, in addition, has a public dining room to indigentes people. At this moment only two priests live in this religious community. We know the clinic and after the opportune presentations we organized our activity in the center with the director. The clinic Peace and takes care of indigentes people Well who live in the city and the next countryside, although also go people with more economic resources than they want to consult in the medical center. It has a daily general medicine consultation and of some specialties like pediatría, gynecology and traumatología although they are not taken care of every day. For us the change is surprising, not only in the climate. The life of the city is different from which we have known until now. The traveling streets continuously full of people, sales and the most open and sociable people. In our daily work, we were again with very difficult situations, not only by diseases. Problems that affect to the personal and familiar life of these people like cases of bad treatments to women and children, pregnancies in adolescents or diseases consider that by their long evolution have become incurables. From our arrival to Peru we are living a strike on the medical personnel who is affecting the activity of centers that, like the clinic, take care of with social aims, but mainly, it affects the population because in the hospitals any study is not made that is not urgent. Here in Peru, all the tests that are not basic do at hospitable level. |
 Emilia in the entry of the Clinic Peace and Good Ayacucho
Yolanda in the room of ultrasound scans Dining room of the clinic Peace and Good |
| We took advantage of the end year and the first days del New Year to do something of tourism by Peru, the grandiosidad of MachuPicchu or the beauty of the streets of Cuzco deserves it. We wished a very Happy Year you 2008 to all. Ojala that the new year allows us to contribute somehow to improve the life of these people who as much need it. A stage of the trip finalizes in Cuzco. All the family of Pepe comes to dismiss to us. This he has been one of the most difficult moments of all the trip, when we will return to meet all... |
 Machu Picchu New Year
Plaza of armas, Cuzco
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| Our last week in shorter Checca has been something. Hacemos the last trip from Sicuani in the bus of the municipality, again to the rate of the Cumbia. Although no longer the professors by their vacations travel, so is jammed as always, a hen in a cardboard box with holes almost on the legs of Yolanda... Luckyly the problem with the light in the parish could be solved. We will already be able to warm up our room just a little bit... It is necessary to visit a pregnant woman in a remote community. They have warned to us by radio that is not going to come for its childbirth to the health slug. It had already said to us: "I cannot leave to my children nor my single animalitos". Como half of the group of the slug is in its free days by the celebrations navideñas will be necessary to distribute the efforts. Two days before our march mayor receives us in his office, interchange opinions on many necessities that they have not only in relation to the health, which they are enormous, also in other subjects. We made specific some aspects on future projects... Two surprises for our goodbye. Rosita prepares a succulent breakfast to us with eggs, chipses and the best meat than we have eaten in all the month. The other is that our medical colleagues, both with great musical liking, give a concert to us with songs not only native but also Spanish. This it is the principle of which we hoped is a relation not only of friendship but also of collaboration in future humanitarian projects. |
 Go to the comunity Third week in Checca
Manuel, Rigo and Roger in the radio center
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| Checca Location |
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| More Photos |
Pack 1 (2,1Mb) Pack 2 (2,4Mb) Pack 3 (2,6Mb) |
| From we want desearos to all Merry Christmas and a Prosperous Year 2008 here. Our day of east Christmas Eve year has been very special. The ONG Peru Networks in collaboration with our ONG Professors Cooperantes has promoted to approach Christmas a very poor community and difficult, located over the 3800 ms of altitude. The 4 day began to and average in the morning being able to arrive at breakfast time to Kayno. Two trips in microbus and a last passage in truck took us by a wonderful place through where it passes the Apurimac river until obtaining, in spite of landslides of the dirt road, to reach our destiny. To 10 morning a twenty of children, the promoters of the encounter and the main representatives of the community hoped in the prairie of the school while a succulent chocolate was prepared. Tras to flatter with a breakfast and the presentations to us began the delivery of gifts to almost the 200 children. The children were placed with timidity forming rows hoping to that he was called to them. Each one of them had its package with its name and its age written in the wrapper. The prairie filled of balls, trucks, wrists and dinner services. Later the chocolatada one began and all children and adults received panetone to accompany their unexpected cups (some carried buckets and casseroles). A dance to is of the huaynos (typical music of the region) that touched in direct for us finalized a very touching and unforgettable morning. In order to complete this wonderful day, we had supper in company of Pepe, Berta and its daughters. An affective, warm and traditional atmosphere adorned the evening... |
Children hoping Beginning of the ceremony of delivery of the toys Christmas Eve 2007
Children with the toys The Team in the breakfast
Children of Kayno |
| In the slug, equal that in the majority of the sites, we are always with shelter. It becomes difficult to think to us how it must be in the months of May and June that are coldest of the year. When it rains the water filters by the ground. Most of the plugs they do not work. The patients come to any hour but usually they are reserved for urgent situations since they live far. The days of Maxima affluence are Fridays, is the day of market. They take advantage of that they go to the seat of Checca to sell or to buy foods or animals and long tails in the slug are made to ask for medical attention or to receive the food donation anticipated for children up to 3 years, whenever they fulfill the established revisions. The resources in the slug are less than minimum. They arrange of which basic medicines are considered with which they deal with 99% the affections... A day to the week goes Alfredo, the biologist, who makes analytical slopes knowing that only he can determine hemograma, glucemia, he throws of tinkles and serología of sífilis. When it has the necessary material makes study of tuberculosis and sanguineous group. In spite of the possibility of these studies, they are made less of those than they can, by the refusal of the embarrassed women to be extracted blood and by the custom of the sanitary personnel to work without complementary tests. There have been several campaigns of vaccination, the personnel of the slug is forced to visit the communities to be able to compliment vaccines. It seems that it is easier to carry out a campaign of animal vaccination that of children... Still almost half of the women gives to light in its houses, taken care of by the little midwives and more and more by such familiar. Efforts have become so that they go to the slug in the dates next to the childbirth. For it they have been qualified, in the enclosure of the slug, houses of marinate (maternal houses) with possibility of sleeping and of cooking and of coexisting with their families. Many of the women allege that they cannot leave to his animals and other children in his houses. Some mothers have up to 14 pregnancies, the average is of 8 children. Culturally the childbirth is made squatting (vertical childbirth), on a bed, placing the skins of its animals as a sheets. There are a high percentage of the population that presents/displays slight or moderate undernourishment, mainly young and women. In the zone fruits nor vegetables are not cultivated and the cost of the meat and eggs prevents to complete their feeding. Milk and the cheeses that they obtain from his animals sell them instead of his to consume them in their homes. Its isolation causes that many women and children do not speak Castilian, but only quechua. They are the husbands or the personnel of the slug who do to us of interpreters. As opposed to badly been of the slug we were with the huge building of the municipality (city council). One is a modern building, of recent construction, that has a garden that remembers "resort" vacacional. It seems an oasis in the middle of homes of marinates and half-ruined houses. Thursday in the evening was an pleasant surprise in the corral of the parish, 16 alpacas hoped on the following day to be distributed between some members of the communities. One of the projects of the ONG Peru Networks to improve the conditions of life of many farmers is to provide alpacas male to increase its flocks to them. We were fascinated by the elegance and that to walk "so feminine" of these animals unknown for us. He is impressive like the quiet streets where you only find dogs loose, Fridays become an authentic fair of full traveling sale of color, noise, encounter and smiles. Intermingled with the multitude there are animals (ewes, flames, horses, pigs) and dead head of cattle. The light trucks and buses are filled of people and from the 3 of afternoon they leave the sunk it town leaving again in silence. This Christmas Friday, eves, the navideños bells of the church, carols and some adornments gave a gladder aspect him to the seat. We have changed to our lodging by a quarter something warmer in the parish. A small heating engineer who has lent us in the slug and a thermus of two liters to maintain the water hot has allowed us to tolerate better the cold of the nights. All the water for the cold cleanliness is water, although thanks to the sun some mornings the water with which we filled our earthenware bowls temper a little. One of our activities of routine more entertaining is to go to the room of Internet to 7 of afternoon. She is all one intrigues to know if there will be a computer available and if there is connection. The children have finalized these days the school year and jam the room of Internet as if outside a room of games. The new course will begin in March. Saturday we have gone to another town (Rest) to collaborate in the attention in the slug in its day of market. From we traveled in the ambulance, taking advantage of a transfer here, to Sicuani. We do not know what we will be to our return because the previous night has caught fire the electrical taking of the parish and another afternoon-night without light... |
main building of health center Market of Checca Second week in Checca
Market with the
city council
in front
Center of health of Checca
Delivery room
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| It is Monday and we go towards Checca, thus begins a new stage of our trip. Pepe comes with us. We have risen to 4 in the morning because, like whenever it is traveled in public transport in Peru, it is important to soon get to take seat. From Sicuani the professors, the workers of the municipality and other people go every Monday who have spent the weekend in the city. Thus, all jammed in the interior and with the suitcases upon the bus, we move while he sounds the Cumbia, first by a highway, but to little, by a dirt road by which a vehicle only fits. The hard passage around two hours. The landscape is discovered when coming out of the sun and is really beautiful. Many dispersed houses by slopes of the plateau are seen. The way winds while young they run down lateral towards the encounter of the bus that will take to the school of the town, and continue raising and more people more... Once they touch to presentations and a good breakfast in "tasca" of the town there (the inn of Rosita). Checca includes/understands a main earth street, a great seat - like all those of this way welcoming the day of market and some adjacent mud houses all. We saluted to Roxana, the representative of the municipality in charge to be received, that accompanies to us to have breakfast and to Manuel, the doctor, whom already we knew by an encounter in Sicuani. The breakfast is made up of a strong plate of white rice with ovine meat and later a coffee or kills. We chose to take only a pair from breads with coffee. After having breakfast and to give a stroll by the town we went to the Slug. The enclosure has a patio, a central building with several wings that around surround a central patio and some cabins. Old and neglected, the aspect is quite discouraging. They have a zone for consultations, a zone that call of hospitalization and another one for the "Maternal House". The morning passes quickly taking care of patient. We eat again in house of Rosita and finally we have a minute to install to us. The quarter that they have provided to us is small, cold and dark. The negotiation with the one in charge of the "maintenance" begins to both cover holes of a handspan that there is in the door, to obtain sheets or similar and that the public bath which we will have to use has light and "some other care". In the Slug the work is very irregular, the personnel dedicates the 24 hours of the day to the attention of patients which causes that there is not a schedule of greater affluence or the demand of work can be anticipated. Everything is going to depend on the time and the market. At this moment two doctors in the Slug, Manuel and Rigo work. Manuel already is veteran in this place and Rigo is the doctor who is lending his year of SERU (rural service), obligatory when finalizing the medicine studies. Also a Obstetra, 2 nurses, several technicians of health and a conductor work there. The quick Slug services of health to Checca and 18 dispersed communities by mountains. From some of them one takes to 2 and 3 hours walking to be able to receive sanitary attention. When there are forts rains (now the humid time or of rains in the region begins) and the patient is not possible to be moved, the doctor and the nurse go to their houses with a car to where he is accessible and later on foot... And sometimes it is necessary to transfer to the patient until the Slug, as in the case of Flora that was pregnant. His husband warned in the morning 2 because he had been several hours bleeding. Manuel went to value it to its house and 7 in the morning they entered the Slug. Rosita takes care of to us from the first day with a familiar treatment, as if it knew us all the life. Under four mud walls and surrounded by two pigs, a black cat and two dogs, cook the day throughout to give the breakfast, the lunch and the supper to good part of the personnel of the municipality and the slug. In lunch and it has supper use you later absorb (soups) and always a plate of rice with meats or vegetables. Wednesday flattered with fried eggs and chipses to us. If the clouds allow the sun it warms up in the morning from the 6, but at the end of the day and at night the cold remembers to the one of Madrid in these dates, the temperatures fall below 0º C. Some days the storms isolate to the municipality of the outer world. Only there is two telephones and Internet by satellite. The light cuts also are frequent and the low power only allows to maintain in operation light bulbs of low voltage. For that reason, in some occasion, we have occurred good night to 7 and the average one of afternoon. |
Main street of Checca
Greater Seat of Checca
Church of Combapata
With Juan Pablo and bull calf First Week in Checca
Emilia and its purchases
Microbus Combapata-Sicuani
Seat of Tinta with Berta and Juan Pablo
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| "At these moments both are transferred to Checca, their bus left to 4,45 the morning, a small city South al of Sicuani of difficult access and little communications. Where they will be received by the Mayor who will provide lodging and food" | 10 of December |
| Although we thought that we had to go to a medical day in Rest, a call of last hour has allowed us to have all the week end for us. The Virgin of the Immaculate one is the patron of Sicuani, all the city is in the street, different processions and tributes follow one another throughout the morning. After a pretty stroll including swap-meet we found most similar to a terracita to take a beer. The sunny day is interrupted by nubarrones black, four gotitas and again heat. Thanks to the donations of companions and friends we have been able to make a purchase of medicines that will supply to the pharmacy of the Apaine during months. From we want agradeceros here your generosity in name of all the children who we have known and who live in a so precarious situation. Berta Sunday has taken to us to know Red, Pepe and Juan have accompanied us Pablo. The landscape is as pretty as the one of the environs of Sicuani, although east rain year is delayed and the frost has spoiled some of the maize harvests. A long time ago we so did not see so many donkeys and cows close by. Lucia, one of the women whom Yolanda in Apaine took care of receives to us with an pleasant smile, takes in the morning working from the 5 and to his around 4 of their 7 children do not let it stop. It flatters to us with a splendid cheese of cow that they themselves make. In the evening it is called on to organize to us because tomorrow to 4 in the morning Pepe will be called on trompeta to go to us to Checca. We do not know if it will be possible to continue with "this contact", since we know that the moving bodies do not have cover, its satelite telephone causes that even the communication by Internet is difficult. Don't forget of us although you do not have the news during days! | 8 and 9 of December |
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This morning we have gone to the central shutdown of micros (vans) to go to Combapata. Site agrees to take in seats back because they are loaded in the different shutdowns until hacinar itself and ahead it is not possible to be breathed - the number of people who can enter -, in the cow of micro seems impossible travel objects and animals. The activity of the day consists of going to that community in which also Apaine next to the parish of the town collaborates. They have made a general assembly signal to see children with delays of the growth and women. After visiting the facilities that parroco has, to improvise a room with a stretcher that lends us of the health center, we put hands to the work. It is unusual in number of people who are accumulated, we felt as if we were "Lourdes", a nurse must leave to select the people who we can see throughout the morning. In spite of having a health center they prefer to be seen by foreign people, some complain the treatment received in the slug (health center)... Of return to Sicuani we took leave affectionately of the workers of the Apaine, although still we will maintain the contact... |
7 of December |
| It quickly passes the time, these two days have been of intense activity, we go each diminished morning al center of in mototaxi, we know the new histories as the one Alexander whose only incapacity is a deafness from the birth. It has an alive glance and a captivating smile. For 2 years its growth has been stopping, the repeated so frequent intestinal infections in the infantile population of Peru cause that it seems a boy of 5 years when in fact has 9. We have already learned some words in quechua thanks to Manuela and Hilda that do of interpreters, many of the mothers as soon as they know the Castilian. One of the saddest situations is when a mother after years seeing her son who still does not speak or does not walk asks to us esperanzada if it will be possible to be cured, when often not even she has made the studies to complete the diagnosis by lack of economic resources. We arrived at house and she waits for Juan to us Pablo, a boy of almost 3 years, with which we shared the familiar life and to which follows Chester, the small dog of Miriam, the daughter of Pepe and Berta continuously. Emilia continuously asks Berta - the breast of the house on the properties of some habitual foods this way, like quinua and kawichi. We had breakfast all together ones. This morning the breakfast has been faster because to 7 we received an important visit. The mayor of Checca, the municipality to which we go the next week, has come to know us. We have been with restlessness a young, full man, loving of its earth and its people, who briefly has demonstrated to his gratefulness and its interest to us by our well-being in his community. They wait for two days to us of visits in Combopata and Descanso, two small near communities... a strong hug for all those that follow to us, now is hour here to lie down... |
 Consultation
of Emilia
6 of December Consultation of Yolanda
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| "Although Emilia and Yolanda us do not say them, the cold is intense already that the great altitude and the absence of heating makes them pass much cold. Due to it Yolanda has been days aphonic and with resfriado, although already it has recovered totally" |
 Family's Pepe with Emilia |
| This morning we have gone al Apaine center that takes care of discapacitados children to obtain its social integration by means of health and education projects. They are young with mental delays, deficiencies of the development and the language, with problems of learning, parapléjicos, children with syndrome of Down, etc. The ONGD RedesPerú collaborates with this center in their projects reason why they have organized a campaign of attention to the health, in which we as doctors we participated, who consist of the valuation of the nutricional state of the children, of possible hormonal disfunciones and attention to present processes. Also general overhaul is made of health to the mothers who accompany to their children in their daily attendance the center. In spite of the effort of the equipment to obtain an integral attention of these children we have been with situations of such gravity, as the one of Nélida, that surpass the expectations of the project and that locate to us in the crude reality in which these children and their families live. Muchas of these families without resources económicos lives far from the center reason why they do not go with the frequency that would be necessary and they do not fulfill the treatments well medical and although when they go they make two of the main meals of the day this is not sufficient for its nutricionales necessities. A continued medical attention does not exist what makes difficult the improvement of its ailments and although the teaching and rehabilitation equipment is extraordinary would need much more aid. |
 Yolanda in the Market of Sicuani
4 of December
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| All the personnel has turned upside down in facilitating our activity, are amiable and affectionate people who obtain that we feel like in house. In spite of not being able to solve many of the situations that we see the words of gratitude of the mothers by an attention that in our surroundings would be considered elementary, do not leave of sorprendernos. Seguimos visiting young, this time greater, like Miguel than with a smile it has turned the in a while unforgettable morning. This late sunny one we have been able to give a long stroll by the city after going to the full central market of pleasant scents and manifold colors of fruits some strangers for us. An pleasant surprise during our route has been to find with Josefina and su us small daughter with syndrome of Down that has to us boarded to salute to us. We still have left three days of difficult work but simultaneously full of great compensations... |
 Medical Center APAINE
Sicuani
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| We left del Cusco with destiny to Sicuani in particular car, passes the Pan-American highway by the valley where we crossed small towns in which people today meet for the markets del Sunday, women with typical clothes give to color al landscape, scent to grills, all the world is invited... Rains of intermittent form, see green fields and maize plantations and artichokes, cows, ewes, goats and many dogs that cross the highway. The buses advance to us to speed of vertigo, the surprising thing is that they go above until of people and packages. Once in Sicuani our friends welcome to us in their house. One is going away to hold a meeting with representatives and partners of the ONG RedesPerú to now interchange information on the projects that are in march related to the young of alpacas and the next plantations, that begins the time of rains. Also he is spoken of the celebration of Christmas in a community where he tries himself to take gifts to the children promoted by our ONG. |
 Meeting of cooperators 2 of December |
| By aim we have arrived al Peru. Our friend Pepe de RedesPerú has come with his family to look for us the airport of Cuzco. We looked for a great affluent taxi to load with the heavy suitcases full of medicines and medical equipment that we have had to open in the airport. The vision of the streets of the city of Cuzco (or the Cusco) is fascinating, the monumental buildings are mixed with half-ruined houses, the traffic pretends chaotic with the very little traffic lights and aged cars. We afternoon passed the rest of and night in the city, slight symptoms of the altitude sickness or altitude sickness. Headress rest, tomorrow we will go to Sicuani. |
 Pepe, José and Rufino of Redesperu 1 of December |
| Prepared for the trip with the suitcases full with more than 40 kg of medicines and medical apparatuses |
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