Mano a Mano recruits medical professionals to spend a weekend providing healthcare in rural areas with limited access to healthcare. Three to eight volunteers, along with a pilot, fly to a prearranged airstrip location on an early Saturday morning, and return home the next day.
In November 2021, we provided dental care to 309 people in 2 communities in the department of Beni through 2 weekend health clinics:
Poza Honda – November 27-28
On November 27th, 8 volunteer dental professionals and dental students in their final year of study left at 6:30am to travel to Poza Honda in the department of Beni. 113 patients were seen over the 2 days, including 45 children. Children received fluoride treatments and given simple lessons on how to take care of their teeth. Many patients received multiple treatments to address multiple issues.
The community was grateful to Mano a Mano and the dentists for providing this weekend health clinic, and asked for more in the future.
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- One of Mano a Mano’s weekend health clinics in Poza Honda in November 2021.
El Perú Río Apere – November 13-14
On November 13-14 Mano a Mano provided a Jornada Médica in El Perú Río Apere. 196 patients were seen, ranging in age from 4 to 54. This weekend health clinic focused on dental care, with cleanings, extractions, resin fillings, and fluoride applications being provided. 90 people received toothbrushes, and we also provided information on how to use a toothbrush properly and basic dental care.
El Perú Río Apere
The community was very grateful for the dental care provided through this jornada, as they don’t typically have access to dental care. Younger people were especially grateful; more than 80% of the patients seen were between 8 and 19 years old, which is uncommon in these jornadas to see that level of engagement with younger people.
Mano a Mano Aviation Program
For nearly 15 years Mano a Mano’s aviation program has effectively delivered these services at no cost to Bolivian communities that have minimal access to health care:
- Emergency rescue of ill and injured individuals, transporting them to urban hospitals for life-saving treatment;
- Weekend clinics for which we transport volunteer health care professionals into remote areas to provide primary medical care, health and hygiene education, dental care, and referrals, if needed.
Carmen Duran is a dentist and a long-time volunteer with Mano a Mano in Cochabamba, Bolivia. For the past two decades, she has participated in Mano a Mano’s weekend “jornadas” — dental and medical blitzes in which volunteer health care providers fly in to remote jungle communities to offer much-needed dental and medical care.
Learn More About Our Aviation Program
- 3 Years With a Cessna Caravan: Improving the Capacity of Mano a Mano’s Aviation Program in Bolivia
- Mano a Mano’s Aviation Program Made 498 Flights in January-October 2021
- Providing Weekend Health Clinics in Rural Bolivia (May 2021)
- Volunteer Spotlight: Dra. Carmen Duran Providing Weekend Dental Care in Rural Bolivia
- Flying in Bolivia During COVID: Mano a Mano’s Aviation Program in 2020