Today is our final day of a week working for the first time in
Huaytara, depto de Huancavelica. A historic place with Inka Palaces, a total area populations close to 30 thousand farmers, and a just one month old minimal level Hospital that replaces or indeed upgrades a minimalist Health center that could not provide even very basic services. The new added areas, with rotating physicians of 3 hospitals lying within 100 miles away each, add for the first time a surgeon, pediatrician, gynecologist and anesthesiologist, thus we were able to do a few surgeries which in our 12 month preparation had not foreseen. Our 15 professionals team delivered General Medicine, Endocrinology, Geriatrics, Dental, Psychology and Surgical services. Although we do not hace the final stats we treated at least 300 patients and helped to do some 10 surgeries including a parotid tumor, one acute cholecystitis, large hernias with minimal surgical tools, a proficient anesthesiologist but no functional anesthesia machine, as it used to be in the last century. Dental care is so lacking that our three colleagues which included the local one, did work every day until 8 or 9 pm. Donations were medications, tools, equipment, and the services given to all range of locals many were indigent and very elderly. We saw many lonley women in their 90s who still work daily in ther rugged farm lots for survuval without any other assistance. There were also hints of all too frequent familiar violence against women, and finally we found out many undiagnosed diabetics, using the lessons learned in previous Ayacucho Missions. I will send you a few pictures as soon as I can. Our Mission was received warmely and we got very good local cooperation. Today-after five months when we sent the donations valued over 25 thousand dollars- the truck with the goods will arrive for delivery. Our local PAMS office runs too slow and not very efficiently, we need to improve it for sure. Dr. Ralph Kuon Self-sufficiency is the solution to many of our world problems. Lending Hope Foundation, a CA non-profit organization has precisely this mission: Ending poverty through "Education and Capital." Lending Hope provides free business workshops and Micro-loans to the underprivileged in the Latin Countries. We are currently working in Peru. The event will be well publicized and will be attended by the Consul of Peru and Ms. Judy Chu, Congresswoman from the 32nd Congressional District of CA and Ms. Grace Napolitano, Congresswoman from the 38th Congressional District of CA. Today's world is one without borders. What happens in the world affects us also here in the U.S. Lending Hope Foundation started in Los Angeles and has captured the attention of several countries for its transparency and for providing a program that can truly make a difference in changing the livelihood of thousands of families. We provide a sustainable way to help people help themselves.
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February 2016
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