Canada-Chicuma Clinic Project

Photographs of Community and Clinic: https://picasaweb.google.com/jay.hartling/ChicumaRuralHealthClinic?authkey=Gv1sRgCM-zjqezuZWAjgE

Since 2009, the Office of the Vice President of El Salvador has accompanied Chicuma, a long-neglected community, in its community organization efforts to improve living conditions, quality of life and employment opportunities for some of the most vulnerable people in the country.  Operating without a budget, the VP’s Social Action Commission has managed to work with other government ministries, international cooperation, NGOs and the community to help build some basic services in healthcare, education and agricultural production.

 

Inhabitants of Chicuma must travel 20 kilometres to the closest public clinic, and at least 40 kilometres to the town of Chalatenango to the closest hospital.  In order to help bridge that gap, the VP’s office pays for the services of a community health practitioner – a Salvadorean doctor trained at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba -- to spend two weeks in the community each month making house calls and individual consultations.  The doctor sleeps in the community, but has no centre to attend to the needs of patients, and when the doctor is unable to come to the community, they are without access to immediate medical attention.

That’s where the Chicuma Clinic Project comes in.  This is an idea driven by the community, led by community organizers.  The building that the community wants to use as the clinic can be seen in the pictures (see link above).  The building has some historical significance – it is the only original structure left standing after the bombings of the civil war.  The structure itself is sound, constructed of stone and wood, and consists of two rooms.  It has an existing cement floor.

 

The Project aims to raise funds to work in three phases:
* amounts in brackets in bold are updated actual costs

1.      Install a new roof, proper doors and windows, paint and landscape (all labour provided by the community).  Cost = $2,000.00 ($3,000.00)

2.      Provide basic medical equipment and furniture (new or used).  Cost = $1,500.00 (approx - pending)

3.      Provide community workshops to the Health Committee to manage the clinic and deal with minor health issues (spearheaded by Dr. Bood and Dr. Deysi Rodriguez as volunteers).  Cost = $1,500.00 ($0 - donated along with starter basic medicine kit)