COVID-19 Iquitos Relief Fund
Donation protected
Iquitos needs our help URGENTLY. The health care system is overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases. There is an URGENT need for health professionals, medicines, personal protective equipment, and oxygen tanks. Medical personnel have died: outside of Lima, with ~150 deaths of medical professionals to date, Iquitos has the largest number of infections among doctors at ~130. Three physicians and two nurses have died. COVID-19 is spreading quickly throughout the region, and the Iquitos hospitals and health care system have collapsed.
Iquitos is dear to the hearts of many of us—researchers, trainees, medical students, students doing practicums. People that we have worked side by side with are deeply affected. It is now time for us to give back. We urge you to donate what you can to help out this city.
All funds collected via this GoFundMe will be sent in coordination with Dr. Graciela Meza (Iquitos) where the need is the most urgent. Drs. Valerie Paz-Soldán and Jessica Ricaldi will ensure that all funds are used for these purposes.
UPDATE May 5th, 2020:
To clarify how the funds will be spent and who will receive this:
1) All funds will first be sent to the Fundación Cayetano Heredia associated with the Instituto de Medicina Tropical of the Univ Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
2) These funds will be in their own account for use only in Iquitos.
3) Valerie Paz Soldán (Peruvian researcher based in Lima, but whose work is mostly in Iquitos) will be working directly with medical doctors leading COVID-19 efforts in Iquitos, including Graciela Meza, Martín Casapía, Cesar Ramal y Percy Minaya, to determine most urgent and strategic needs.
4) Once we determine the most strategic use of the funds collected (which depends on HOW MUCH is collected, as well as WHAT IS URGENT AT THAT TIME), Valerie will be coordinating use of funds to purchase items and ensure these arrive to the hands of trusted doctors.
5) All use of funds will be overseen by the Fundación Cayetano Heredia.
UPDATE May 7th, 2020:
Why are we doing this ?
This effort started from conversations between Valerie Paz Soldan (Lima), Jessica Ricaldi (US) and Paula Maguina(US), about how bad the situation was in Iquitos and what we could do to help, and how much of a hassle it is to wire money to Peru. We all have spent a lot of time in Iquitos doing/coordinating scientific projects. We quickly enlisted Graciela Meza (Iquitos) who we have all known for a long time.
For me (Jessica) this idea started after hearing from someone who I worked closely with in Iquitos, telling me that they had been in a hospital hallway for a week and how a family member who is a nursing student, was administering his care and medication because there were too many patients and not enough personnel. The family member had gone all over Iquitos and couldn't find oxygen. They had to buy everything being used, from pulse oximeter to medications. This made me acutely aware of how bad the situation was.
My relationship with Iquitos is very long. I first went to Iquitos when I was a med student at Cayetano, and I was hooked. I did a rotation at Hospital de Apoyo as an intern, Martin Casapia convinced me to that, and lived in Iquitos for a year after medschool, running a research project and doing some primary care at the healthpost in Varillal. Aftter that I spent 6 years in the US doing postgraduate training and missing fieldwork, and then went back to Peru as Cayetano faculty, and got the chance to run projects and go to Iquitos often again for a few years. I am now back in the US working in Public Health , and missing coconut Shambos, the chocolate cake from Ivalu and the kebabs from the guy across from the girls school.
Feel free to share what Iquitos means to you in the comments.
***************
***************
Iquitos necesita nuestra ayuda urgentemente. El sistema de salud ha colapsado con los casos de COVID-19. Hay necesidad urgente de más médicos y profesionales de salud, medicamentos, equipo de protección personal y tanques de oxígeno. Médicos se han infectado: detrás de Lima con ~150 muertes, Iquitos lo sigue con ~130 casos. Tres medicos y dos enfermeras han fallecido. COVID-19 se ha transmitido rápidamente en la region y los hospitales y establecimientos médicos han colapsado.
Iquitos es un lugar especial para muchos de nosotros—investigadores, estudiantes de medicina, estudiantes haciendo practicas. Gente con la que hemos trabajado esta siendo afectada.
Es hora de devolverle a Iquitos un poco de lo que nos ha dado. Les pedimos que donen lo que pueden para ayudar a esta ciudad.
Todos los fondos colectados por GoFundMe serán enviados en coordinacioncon la Dra. Graciela Meza a donde las necesidades sean mas urgentes. Las Dras. Valerie Paz Soldán y Jessica Ricaldi se asegurarán del uso de los fondos para este propósito.
UPDATE 5 de Mayo, 2020:
Para aclarar cómo se gastarán los fondos y quién los recibirá:
1) Todos los fondos serán enviados primero a la Fundación Cayetano Heredia asociada al Instituto de Medicina Tropical de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
2) Estos fondos estarán en su propia cuenta para ser usados sólo en Iquitos.
3) Valerie Paz Soldán (investigadora peruana radicada en Lima, pero cuyo trabajo es mayormente en Iquitos) trabajará directamente con los médicos que lideran los esfuerzos de COVID-19 en Iquitos, incluyendo a Graciela Meza, Martín Casapía, Cesar Ramal y Percy Minaya para determinar necesidades más urgentes y estratégicos.
4) Una vez que determinemos el uso más estratégico de los fondos recaudados (que depende de CUÁNTO se recaude, así como DE QUÉ ES URGENTE EN ESE MOMENTO), Valerie coordinará el uso de los fondos para comprar artículos y asegurarse de que éstos lleguen a las manos de los médicos de confianza.
5) Todo será contabilizado por la Fundación Cayetano Heredia.
UPDATE 7 de Mayo, 2020:
Porque estamos haciendo esto?
Esta iniciativa surgio de conversaciones entre Valerie Paz Soldan (Lima), Jessica Ricaldi (EEUU) y Paula Maguina (EEUU) sobre lo dificil que se veia la situacion en Iquitos, de que forma podriamos ayudar, y lo fastidioso que es enviar giros a Peru. Todas nosotras hemos pasado bastante tiempo en Iquitos haciendo o coordinando projectos cientificos. Rapidamente contactamos a Graciela Meza, a quien hemos conocido por mucho tiempo.
Para mi (Jessica), esta idea comenzo cuando converse con una persona con la que habia trabajado cercanamente en Iquitos y me conto que llevaba una semana en el pasadizo del hospital. Un familiar con conociemiento de enfermeria le admistraba los medicamentos y no podia encontrar oxygeno en todo Iquitos. Esto me hizo ver lo dificil que era la situacion.
Pueden usar la seccion Comentarios para compartir porque Iquitos es importante para ustedes.
Iquitos is dear to the hearts of many of us—researchers, trainees, medical students, students doing practicums. People that we have worked side by side with are deeply affected. It is now time for us to give back. We urge you to donate what you can to help out this city.
All funds collected via this GoFundMe will be sent in coordination with Dr. Graciela Meza (Iquitos) where the need is the most urgent. Drs. Valerie Paz-Soldán and Jessica Ricaldi will ensure that all funds are used for these purposes.
UPDATE May 5th, 2020:
To clarify how the funds will be spent and who will receive this:
1) All funds will first be sent to the Fundación Cayetano Heredia associated with the Instituto de Medicina Tropical of the Univ Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
2) These funds will be in their own account for use only in Iquitos.
3) Valerie Paz Soldán (Peruvian researcher based in Lima, but whose work is mostly in Iquitos) will be working directly with medical doctors leading COVID-19 efforts in Iquitos, including Graciela Meza, Martín Casapía, Cesar Ramal y Percy Minaya, to determine most urgent and strategic needs.
4) Once we determine the most strategic use of the funds collected (which depends on HOW MUCH is collected, as well as WHAT IS URGENT AT THAT TIME), Valerie will be coordinating use of funds to purchase items and ensure these arrive to the hands of trusted doctors.
5) All use of funds will be overseen by the Fundación Cayetano Heredia.
UPDATE May 7th, 2020:
Why are we doing this ?
This effort started from conversations between Valerie Paz Soldan (Lima), Jessica Ricaldi (US) and Paula Maguina(US), about how bad the situation was in Iquitos and what we could do to help, and how much of a hassle it is to wire money to Peru. We all have spent a lot of time in Iquitos doing/coordinating scientific projects. We quickly enlisted Graciela Meza (Iquitos) who we have all known for a long time.
For me (Jessica) this idea started after hearing from someone who I worked closely with in Iquitos, telling me that they had been in a hospital hallway for a week and how a family member who is a nursing student, was administering his care and medication because there were too many patients and not enough personnel. The family member had gone all over Iquitos and couldn't find oxygen. They had to buy everything being used, from pulse oximeter to medications. This made me acutely aware of how bad the situation was.
My relationship with Iquitos is very long. I first went to Iquitos when I was a med student at Cayetano, and I was hooked. I did a rotation at Hospital de Apoyo as an intern, Martin Casapia convinced me to that, and lived in Iquitos for a year after medschool, running a research project and doing some primary care at the healthpost in Varillal. Aftter that I spent 6 years in the US doing postgraduate training and missing fieldwork, and then went back to Peru as Cayetano faculty, and got the chance to run projects and go to Iquitos often again for a few years. I am now back in the US working in Public Health , and missing coconut Shambos, the chocolate cake from Ivalu and the kebabs from the guy across from the girls school.
Feel free to share what Iquitos means to you in the comments.
***************
***************
Iquitos necesita nuestra ayuda urgentemente. El sistema de salud ha colapsado con los casos de COVID-19. Hay necesidad urgente de más médicos y profesionales de salud, medicamentos, equipo de protección personal y tanques de oxígeno. Médicos se han infectado: detrás de Lima con ~150 muertes, Iquitos lo sigue con ~130 casos. Tres medicos y dos enfermeras han fallecido. COVID-19 se ha transmitido rápidamente en la region y los hospitales y establecimientos médicos han colapsado.
Iquitos es un lugar especial para muchos de nosotros—investigadores, estudiantes de medicina, estudiantes haciendo practicas. Gente con la que hemos trabajado esta siendo afectada.
Es hora de devolverle a Iquitos un poco de lo que nos ha dado. Les pedimos que donen lo que pueden para ayudar a esta ciudad.
Todos los fondos colectados por GoFundMe serán enviados en coordinacioncon la Dra. Graciela Meza a donde las necesidades sean mas urgentes. Las Dras. Valerie Paz Soldán y Jessica Ricaldi se asegurarán del uso de los fondos para este propósito.
UPDATE 5 de Mayo, 2020:
Para aclarar cómo se gastarán los fondos y quién los recibirá:
1) Todos los fondos serán enviados primero a la Fundación Cayetano Heredia asociada al Instituto de Medicina Tropical de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia.
2) Estos fondos estarán en su propia cuenta para ser usados sólo en Iquitos.
3) Valerie Paz Soldán (investigadora peruana radicada en Lima, pero cuyo trabajo es mayormente en Iquitos) trabajará directamente con los médicos que lideran los esfuerzos de COVID-19 en Iquitos, incluyendo a Graciela Meza, Martín Casapía, Cesar Ramal y Percy Minaya para determinar necesidades más urgentes y estratégicos.
4) Una vez que determinemos el uso más estratégico de los fondos recaudados (que depende de CUÁNTO se recaude, así como DE QUÉ ES URGENTE EN ESE MOMENTO), Valerie coordinará el uso de los fondos para comprar artículos y asegurarse de que éstos lleguen a las manos de los médicos de confianza.
5) Todo será contabilizado por la Fundación Cayetano Heredia.
UPDATE 7 de Mayo, 2020:
Porque estamos haciendo esto?
Esta iniciativa surgio de conversaciones entre Valerie Paz Soldan (Lima), Jessica Ricaldi (EEUU) y Paula Maguina (EEUU) sobre lo dificil que se veia la situacion en Iquitos, de que forma podriamos ayudar, y lo fastidioso que es enviar giros a Peru. Todas nosotras hemos pasado bastante tiempo en Iquitos haciendo o coordinando projectos cientificos. Rapidamente contactamos a Graciela Meza, a quien hemos conocido por mucho tiempo.
Para mi (Jessica), esta idea comenzo cuando converse con una persona con la que habia trabajado cercanamente en Iquitos y me conto que llevaba una semana en el pasadizo del hospital. Un familiar con conociemiento de enfermeria le admistraba los medicamentos y no podia encontrar oxygeno en todo Iquitos. Esto me hizo ver lo dificil que era la situacion.
Pueden usar la seccion Comentarios para compartir porque Iquitos es importante para ustedes.
Organizer
Jessica Ri
Organizer
Atlanta, GA
