Just another day at the office?

BLOG POST JUNE 17th, 2010
VISIT TO PAMPLONA TO FOLLOW-UP WITH OUR PATIENTS

Today we began the morning by meeting with Senor Benavides, a community leader in Pamplona (Lima) with the goal of accomplishing a follow-up visit with four patients that we met during the Cornell mobile clinic last week. After a combi-bus ride into the district we walked to a small house where we met with a mother of four-year-old Fabian suffering from epilepsy, hydrocephaly, cataracts in both eyes, and an undescended testicle. In order to ensure treatment for Fabian, we arranged to meet the family the following Monday at a local children’s hospital. This will be a crucial step in demonstrating that even in the direst financial conditions, a patient has the right to receive treatment.

Following this visit we met up with members of the local police who were willing to drive us up to Pamplona Alta to meet with the next three families. After a bumpy ride in the bed of their police pick-up we arrived at the local comedor (a government subsidized cafeteria) where we asked for directions to the house of Eiselith, a pre-maturely born baby with significant lung and heart problems, related to Patent Ductus Arteriosus which may lead to congestive heart failure if left untreated. Her premature birth stemmed from a fall suffered by her mother as result of Pamplona’s lack of an appropriate stairway system, despite its very steep terrain. The issue may seem trivial but in fact, in this area the government refuses to extend electrical and water services until such a basic development is present in the community. Upon meeting with her sister and cousin, we requested to have them accompany us and the previous family to the children’s hospital the following Monday.

Jumping back into the pick-up we rode to the site set aside by the community for the construction of a new local clinic. Secretary Sra. Juana gave us a quick tour of the lot ridden with sedimentary debris and trash. At our urging, members of the community will meet in the upcoming weeks to acquire the signatures and community support that will be needed when speaking with the Ministry of Health to finalize plans. While the government has agreed to staff any clinic that is built in the area, a lack of funding is currently preventing construction from moving forward. Thus, in addition to helping organize the community for this project, MEDLIFE is also seeking to raise funds to help the community finance construction of this clinic. With our help, this community will be able to take a great step forward in regards to promoting local health.

As we made our way down from the potential clinic site, we stopped to ask several residents where our next patient, a young child who was born without an anus and underwent a colostomy when he was very young , lived. After some searching, we arrived at his family’s home and quickly realized that he was suffering from a prolapsed colon (i.e. his colon was bulging out from the colostomy incision such that a significant portion was now outside his body) and needed immediate treatment. A prolapsed colon presents a huge infection risk and prevents the proper absorption of water, vitamins, etc. To deal with this, we again employed the help of the local police, who were willing to drive us to the public hospital to seek treatment for him. After a lot of effort, MEDLIFE Founder Nick Ellis and Sr. Benavides were able to acquire a referral for the child and an opportunity for prompt his prompt treatment.

Before reaching the hospital, a brief stop at the house of Sebastian Paredes Ramos, a young child diagnosed with ALL, allowed us to assess his need for follow-up care. There we spoke at length with his mother and other female family members and determined that his needs are currently being met. We made sure to leave all necessary contact information and will periodically check up on Sebastian in the future. This visit also allowed us to reconnect with Rosa, a woman whose uncle had been unable to attend our recent mobile clinic, but who also requested treatment. We will hopefully be able to work with her in the coming weeks.

Overall, this trip proved a massive success, as we were able to engage locally with community members to find appropriate treatment options for all our patients. Visiting the potential clinic site also proved to be very fruitful, as we continue to work to improve the health of the residents of Pamplona.

-Mariana Shtukina and Nate Anderson, MEDLIFE Peru Interns Summer 2010