Bolivian Covid Surgical Support Fund
Donation protected
My brother, Steven Schuetz, just graduated from his 7-year surgical residency at Northwestern University and, instead of accepting a job offer here in the US, he is moving to La Paz, Bolivia for the next year to provide essential surgical care during the Covid pandemic.
A recent CNN news story notes that "Bolivia's hospitals and cemeteries are buckling as COVID-19 cases surge and reach the highest levels of government - including its Interim President Jeanine Añez [...] As one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Bolivia is on its way to become one of the world's worst affected nations in coronavirus per-capita deaths."
Covid is devastating the country and, in various health systems, over 80% of surgeons are currently out after contracting Covid. Lifesaving emergency and cancer surgeries are extremely limited due to the impact of Covid on the healthcare system and surgical workforce. Steven has received special permission from the Bolivian government to enter the country on a repatriation flight and work alongside the local surgeons in order to help meet this critical need.
To date, he has spent over 4 years working on a volunteer basis in Bolivia since 2009, training healthcare providers in trauma care, developing the country's cancer guidelines, and implementing a US technology to help meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients. You can read a little about some of his recent work here.
Due to the economic impact of Covid and overwhelming global needs, there are no formal funding mechanisms to support this work, so he will be using his personal savings to finance this next year. And due to limited PPE in Bolivia, he needs to bring his own supplies, pulse oximeter/oxygen/medications in case he gets infected, and necessary surgical equipment to operate effectively.
This small amount will helping finance his travel, health insurance and purchase of necessary supplies/equipment. I know there are a lot of needs around the world at the moment, so thank you for your consideration. I'm just trying to help my brother stay safe as he puts himself at risk to help others in a country with great need!
A recent CNN news story notes that "Bolivia's hospitals and cemeteries are buckling as COVID-19 cases surge and reach the highest levels of government - including its Interim President Jeanine Añez [...] As one of the poorest countries in Latin America, Bolivia is on its way to become one of the world's worst affected nations in coronavirus per-capita deaths."
Covid is devastating the country and, in various health systems, over 80% of surgeons are currently out after contracting Covid. Lifesaving emergency and cancer surgeries are extremely limited due to the impact of Covid on the healthcare system and surgical workforce. Steven has received special permission from the Bolivian government to enter the country on a repatriation flight and work alongside the local surgeons in order to help meet this critical need.
To date, he has spent over 4 years working on a volunteer basis in Bolivia since 2009, training healthcare providers in trauma care, developing the country's cancer guidelines, and implementing a US technology to help meet the psychosocial needs of cancer patients. You can read a little about some of his recent work here.
Due to the economic impact of Covid and overwhelming global needs, there are no formal funding mechanisms to support this work, so he will be using his personal savings to finance this next year. And due to limited PPE in Bolivia, he needs to bring his own supplies, pulse oximeter/oxygen/medications in case he gets infected, and necessary surgical equipment to operate effectively.
This small amount will helping finance his travel, health insurance and purchase of necessary supplies/equipment. I know there are a lot of needs around the world at the moment, so thank you for your consideration. I'm just trying to help my brother stay safe as he puts himself at risk to help others in a country with great need!
Organizer and beneficiary
Kate Kowal
Organizer
Elmhurst, IL
Steven Schuetz
Beneficiary