Medical supplies in Dueñas, Guatemala

I’m a lucky enough to be in Guatemala volunteering at a medical clinic in Dueñas. Guatemala is a beautiful country with strong Mayan roots, however, it has the highest rate of malnutrition in Latin America. Although the Guatemalan constitution guarantees healthcare, resources are limited and often people don’t get access to the medical care they need. 50% of people live on $2 per day - the impacts of poverty resulting in some of the highest rates of childhood stunting in the world (WFP, 2022).

That’s why clinics like Dueñas Municipal Medical are so important. Here, I have met incredible health providers (Doctor, Nurse, Dentist, Psychologist, and Nutritionist) committed to supporting their community.

They have been as attentive to their patients, as they have with me. There is little English spoken, but my mentor, Luis, works hard to teach me Spanish and ensure I understand my technical requirements. Each day, Luis works at the clinic and then spends the rest of his time tending to elderly and disabled patients at a facility that he and his wife run. He self funds this as there is no superannuation and very little safety nets for elderly people in Guatemala.

My experience hasn’t been an altruistic one; each day I learn new skills - technical and soulful - that will no doubt make me a better doctor in the future. I don’t think I will ever be able to repay this level of kindness.

I am gaining so much from this experience and it is important for me to give back what I can in the form of buying medical supplies for the clinic and Luis’ aged care facility.

My student working hours mean I don’t have the capacity I used to, so I thought I would share this with my loved ones and see whether you wanted to contribute to any supplies.

I’ve listed items below and set up a funding platform so I can buy the items next week. Any little bit helps. Let me know if you have anything specific you want to contribute towards. I’ll keep donors posted on our outcomes

Clínica:

- Children’s pain relief

- Adult pain relief

- Adult multivitamins

- Antibiotics

- Gloves

- Masks

- Coffee

Casa Andrea Aged Care Facility:

- Geriatric multivitamins

- Mostly food needed for patients