Mano a Mano’s Health Education Program – 4th Quarter 2017

Mano a Mano’s Health Education Program – 4th Quarter 2017

A central component of Mano a Mano’s health program is to provide health education:

• to communities through providing training for volunteer health promoters
• to communities through weekend health clinics providing basic services
• to Mano a Mano’s clinic staff as continuing health education
• to medical professionals from other organizations

These programs are managed and administered by our counterpart organization Mano a Mano Bolivia, and serve a complementary role to the construction of community clinics throughout rural Bolivia. (In partnership with local communities, municipal governments, and the Bolivian Health Ministry, Mano a Mano has built 162 clinics to date.)

Continuing Health Education

In the 4th Quarter of 2017, Mano a Mano Bolivia hosted two continuing health education workshops – one for doctors and one for dentists – with a total of 104 participants and 19 instructors presenting. These workshops are accredited for participants, and each attendee receives a certificate of completion.

Mano a Mano Bolivia’s 133rd continuing health education workshop was held for doctors on October 28-30, 2017. The focus of the workshop was medical emergencies; there were 65 attendees.

Mano a Mano Bolivia’s 134th continuing health education workshop was held for dentists on August 23-25, 2017. The focus of the workshop was dental emergencies; there were 39 attendees.

Health Education for Public Organizations

In addition to providing continuing health education for Mano a Mano’s 500+ medical professionals on staff in our network of clinics, Mano a Mano Bolivia provides continuing health education workshops for medical professionals from public organizations in Bolivia.

Between October and December 2017, Mano a Mano Bolivia hosted 5 workshops with a total of 227 attendees (attendance in each workshop ranged from 35 to 60).

Medical staff from SEDES Cochabamba (Servicio Departamental de Salud, or Departmental Health Services) attend a continuing health education workshop focusing on the management of thoracic trauma with Mano a Mano Bolivia on November 10th, 2017.

Staff from the Gastroenterology Hospital of Cochabamba attend a continuing health education workshop with Mano a Mano Bolivia on December 9-10, 2017.

Weekend Health Clinics

In October and November 2017, 15 medical professionals volunteered their time to fly to three small communities in the Amazon region of Bolivia in the department of Beni to provide dental, medical, and lab services (there were 5 volunteers for each of the 3 weekend health clinics). Each weekend health clinic, or jornada, takes place over 2 days, with volunteers flying to the communities to provide health care services in the communities.

In total, 292 people were attended to during the 3 weekend health clinics: 149 received medical care, 88 received dental work, and 55 received lab services.

A volunteer from Mano a Mano Bolivia providing medical care during a weekend health clinic in Trinidadcito on October 14-15, 2017.

Mano a Mano Bolivia volunteers eating lunch with the community of San Juan de Monte Cruz during their weekend health clinic there on October 28-29, 2017.