The Pop Wuj Medical Program recently hosted/facilitated three midwife trainings in and around Xela. With the support of Timmy Global Health, we trained approximately 80 local midwives on newborn resuscitation techniques. For more information, please see Dr. Lucinda Grande's blog post:
Access to healthcare is one of the most pressing issues in Guatemala, as it has the highest childhood stunting rate in the hemisphere and the Guatemalan highlands rank near the bottom of nearly all basic healthcare markers. With 60% of Guatemalans living in poverty, many are not able to afford or access healthcare. Illnesses put families into years of debt especially if the main income earner of the household becomes sick.Our medical program began in 2002 and serves rural communities where such access to healthcare is nonexistent. During these rural mobile clinics we also host health workshops offering such education as how to purify water and how to give adequate nourishment to their children.
Along with serving rural communities multiple times a week, the Pop Wuj Clinic also operates for the urban poor. Staffed by a local doctor and nurse, the clinic has developed an incredible reputation in the city and a line forms well before its doors open. The clinic is free to those who cannot pay, and for those who can, all income is invested back into the school's various projects.We attract healthcare/medical students and professionals to our school in order to learn Spanish, which allows the rural communities we serve to have access to superb care.
There are many costs to running the clinic. The medications, transportation to rural areas, rent, and support for chronically ill patients make up its budget. Given its success, this unique model serves as one that will be mimicked throughout the developing world.For more information on the Pop Wuj Medical Clinic, please visit www.pop-wuj.org.
