Peru

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Photos from our “Chocolatada” Christmas Party in Peru

January 6, 2012 in Events, General, Helping Children, Mission, Peru, South America by Jonathan White | Comments closed

On the 17th of December, our clinic staff in Peru, celebrated with an early Christmas party with some of the children and former patients of our clinic. Thanks to the the contribution of friends and family, the party was held with gifts, food, and a musical clown show for the children.

This year the party was held at one of the local municipality community centers, and we were able to provide a total of 110 gifts for the children. 90 of these gifts were handed out to the children at the party and the remaining 20 were given at a seperate gathering for children who are patients of ours with TB (Tuberculosis) and Malnourishment in another special meeting for them.

Thank you to David Franco, who also collaborated with us, brought gifts and also a basket of food,which draw in the audience.

A great time was had by all!

Thank You For An Amazing Year!

January 4, 2012 in Africa, Armenia, Asia, Disaster Relief, Donate, Europe, General, Helping Children, India, Japan, Kenya, Mission, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Photo: Dr. Martina C. Fuchs, RMF Founder/CEO, making new friends at the Lwala, Kenya Community Hospital, October 1, 2011

We are so grateful to all our friends, supporters and teams around the world and wish everyone a fantastic 2012!

Having wrapped up another successful we want to pause and say a huge THANK YOU to all of you who supported our work in 2011. You have helped us achieve so much, and we give our deep thanks to everyone for your generosity and support!

In 2011 we..

In Japan, post-earthquake and tsunami, RMF reached over 33,000 people in Ishinomaki City with supplies, debris/sludge cleanup, and community center support.
In India, in RMF’s Malnutrition Eradication Program, our field staff of 75 Community Nutrition Educators diagnosed and treated 85,016 cases of Acute Malnutrition in more than 600 villages since our program started in 2010.
In Uganda, we provided healthcare, education and vocational training support to 55,000 refugees at the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement.
In South Sudan, 40 Nurses and Midwives at the RMF sponsored first-ever accredited Nursing and Midwifery College in Juba, are beginning their 2nd year of training.
In Pakistan, RMF treated more than 25,000 flood victims at our free medical camps, 32,000 patients at our clinic in Gulbella and provided healthcare in Talhatta for more than 150,000.
In Haiti, our free clinic at Hôpital Lambert Santé provided public access to 24-hour emergency and general healthcare to a community that is home to more than 100,000 displaced persons.
In Kenya, we upgraded the only hospital for 1,000,000 people in Lodwar, Turkana, starting with the pediatric ward and also continued to provide medical support, food and water to thousands through mobile and stationary clinics in the poorest and most drought ravaged regions in Kenya.
Closer to home, in South Los Angeles, RMF provided 70 children with new backpacks filled with school supplies and personal products, and just threw a Holiday Party for these children on December 17th.

From all of us at RMF: Have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2012!

Tags: Africa, africa relief, asia, capacity building, Disaster Relief, earthquake relief, flood relief, Haiti, healthcare, India, japan, Kenya, malnutrition, non-profit, Pakistan, refugee, Related Links, RMF, south los angeles, south sudan, tsunami relief, Turkana, Uganda

Voices from the field: Señora Maria by Jana Siu

August 3, 2011 in Jana Siu, Peru, South America, Voices from the Field by Jonathan White | Comments closed

by Jana Siu

I got to know Señora Maria over her prescribed 5 day course of antibiotics. Everyday she’d shuffle in around 2pm, hand over her prescription and give one large sigh before I gave her an injection into her hip. Afterwards, we’d have a little chat about the importance of getting the whole course of antibiotics. I always fear that patients won’t come back because of the pain. On the contrary, I’ve found the patients here to be very diligent on coming in day after day, whether for an injection or excruciating wound care. When I asked her about this, she told me that in spite of the pain, she was very grateful for the attentive care she was receiving from Dr. Erika and the staff. Prior to the Policlinico, her healthcare consisted of rare visits to “la posta”, the government funded clinics for the underserved and the poor. Her disheartening response to what was problematic about it said it all, “They treat me badly.”

On her last day of antibiotics, Señora Maria was disappointed to hear that my stay here was coming to an end. And in good Peruvian fashion, she asked whether or not I had tried the 20 or so Peruvian dishes that she rattled off. I thought I had done well, but she was still shocked at the few I had not tried. She rubbed her injection site and clucked her disapproval as she shuffled out the door.

The following Monday, Señora Maria arrived with her daughter bearing two bags containing “arroz con seco de pollo” for the entire staff. We were over the moon; a piping-hot home-made delivered meal! She chuckled when I thanked her for helping me complete my Peruvian culinary experience. I was moved by Señora Maria´s gesture of appreciation and felt very proud of our staff that made her feel cared for…and then got distracted by the delicious food.

More information and reporting about our clinic in Peru can be found here.

To help us continue to purchase medicine, supplies and fund the staff at the clinic you can contribute to this initiative by clicking on the Donate button below or visit our website at www.realmedicinefoundation.org/donors.

Tags: donations peru, nurse volunteers, Peru, peru nurses, volunteer in peru

Voices from the field: Preventative Health Campaign Outreach in Cleto Rojas, Peru

July 26, 2011 in Jana Siu, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Voices from the Field, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

by Jana Siu

Vicki the pharmacist described to me the neighborhood of Cleto Rojas in San Clemente as rustic. I found “rustic” to be an understatement. This area increased dramatically in size after the earthquake. Houses are constructed of wooden poles and mats of weaved reed stalks as roofs and walls. Plastic sheeting, some that have the emblem of medical relief organizations long gone, insulate these homes. It’s a very dusty, windy, dry part of town. We chose Cleto Rojas as the location to do our preventative health campaign.

Tumbling out of our cramped motos with our supplies and anticipation, we were slightly disappointed to see all of 5 people sitting outside. But knowing that information spreads pretty quickly through paper-thin walls (literally), we soon found ourselves in a crowd of 60.

One of the major problems found here is a significant parasite infection rate. There is no running water so the municipal district fills these above-ground concrete wells shared by groups of neighbors. Water gets contaminated quickly. Add in all the stray dogs, close bathroom quarters, and poor hygiene practices, people get sick.

Hand washing for hygience demonstration

First things first, each child was given an anti-parasitic. Next, our staff gave a presentation on proper hygiene, food preparation, and basic parasitology. We concluded with a hand-washing demonstration. Our audience was engaging, participatory, and it was a fun and interactive experience for everyone.

Luisa giving dental cleaning demonstration

Luisa, our volunteer dentist pulled out her dental model to everyone’s delight, and talked about dental hygiene. “What else do we brush besides our teeth?” Luisa asked. “Our tongues!!” chimed the kids in a loud chorus. I have no doubt that her lesson stuck. The children squealed in delight over their new toothbrushes that we passed out and got a helping of fluoride, although they admitted to liking the taste of toothpaste much better, so we passed those out too.

Our lecture on women’s health created so much input from the women that we had to institute the “raise your hand before you speak” rule. This was one of the few times that I was happy that people couldn’t wait their turn to talk.

2 hours later, after questions were answered, teeth were made a little stronger, and free gifts were passed out, people trickled back home. I find that you can never over-do preventative health. And unless vaccinations are involved, everybody has a good time and learns something new. If we happen to lose a few clinic appointments due to proper hand-washing then…hooray!

Children with new toothbrushes

More information and reporting about our clinic in Peru can be found here.

Tags: nurse volunteers, Peru, Peru charity, peru doctors, peru donations, peru medicine, peru non-profit, peru nurse volunteers, peru nurses

Voices From The Field: Busy Monday at the Clinic by Jana Siu

July 19, 2011 in Disaster Relief, Jana Siu, Peru, Providing Medical Support, South America by Jonathan White | Comments closed

The guest contributor to our Blog today is Jana Siu, a Registered Nurse from California who has volunteered for us before in India. Jana is spending time volunteering at our clinic the “Policlínico Peruano-Americano” in San Clemente, Peru and just sent this first dispatch from the field.

Jana treating patient

by Jana Siu

I was warned about Mondays here at Policlinico Peruano Americano. It’s not even 11am and the patient log is at 62. Out in the crowded waiting room, seated on long wooden benches, there are coughing and crying children, stoic men, breastfeeding mothers and their babies, and the quiet elderly waiting with their caregivers. There is a strict organization in trying to get all these patients seen which is made all the calmer by the patience of those that need medical care. For these people, Policlinico Peruano Americano is the only option to meet their health needs.

Blanca and Leila at the clinic

It is nearing the 4^th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck the Southern Coast of Peru and everywhere I look, there is sobering reminders: piles and piles of cleared rubble, homes that have half crumbled away, empty lots where houses and buildings once stood. And the stories that stay with these people. It is all very sad but despite it all, rebuilding continues, “poco a poco”.

Pisco

Here at the clinic, there is very little time to think about the past. It is fast-paced, and although the staff is very serious about the work, they remain compassionate. The one nurse, Leila and the voluntary nurse techs do an impressive job of managing patient flow. Their rusty file cabinets are bursting at the seams, none of which have tracks and they hold close to 13,000 charts. Although days can be exhausting, the staff maintains their humor and make sure procedures are explained and questions answered. I see very little of the 2 doctors here since they are just bombarded with patient exams. The lovely pharmacist, Vicki and I quickly became friends over nebulizer kits that were donated from different organizations manufactured by different companies. We were able to make most of the kits work by throwing a few pieces out the window and taping others together.

San Andres

My month here providing medical support should be interesting. Leila and I compare and swap different nursing tips, techniques, and procedures. There´s a lot of: “Really?! Hmmm…okay.” While giving an intravenous medication to a patient, she asked me what our tourniquets are like. When I told her we use single-use tourniquets, in between a giggle, she replied, ¨We´ve had this one for two years!”

More information and reporting about our clinic in Peru can be found here.

Tags: nursing volunteers, Peru, Peru charity, peru donations, Peru health care, Peru medical clinic, peru non-profit, peru nurse, peru volunteer

Inauguration of new clinic location in Peru

March 2, 2011 in General, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Strategies for the Future, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Our clinic has moved to a new building with the sponsorship of the local authorities in San Clemente. This will new location will cost less for us to rent and manage, and brings us closer in partnership with the local health and political representatives.

Below are a collection of photographs from the official inauguration with the local mayor and other dignitaries present for the ribbon cutting ceremony. More photos to come as we get settled into our new location.

For more information about our clinic in Peru, please visit our website: http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org/initiative/policlinico-peruano-americano

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or become a fundraiser for us at Causes.com

To contribute to this or any of our other initiatives, please click the Donate button below or through our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

Tags: Peru, Peru charity, peru clinic, peru donations, Peru health care, peru health clinic, peru medical, peru san clemente, san clemente clinic peru

Photos from our Christmas “Chocolatada” party for children in Peru

January 4, 2011 in Events, General, Helping Children, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

In Peru, Christmas is fairly similar to celebrations held in the US and Europe, when many families get together, celebrate and exchange gifts. The well off families generaly eat turkey and eat Paneton (a cake/bread filled with fruits) and drink hot chocolate.

In the week preceding Christmas, it is also popular for communities, churches or charity organisations to organize “Chocolatadas” where people who make a Christmas gesture to poor children and families by offering them a cup of hot chocolate, food and perhaps small gifts.

Below are some of the fun photos of the Chocolotada that RMF and our clinic staff/volunteers arranged for the community of San Clemente:

For more information about our clinic in Peru please click here.

To contribute to this or any of our other initiatives, please click the Donate button below or through our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

Tags: chocolatada peru, Peru, Peru charity, peru christmas party, peru donations, peru health clinic, peru non-profit, san clemente peru

Last 3 days to give!

December 29, 2010 in Africa, Armenia, Asia, Athletes for Real Medicine, Burma, Disaster Relief, Donate, Europe, Events, General, Haiti, Helping Children, In the news, India, Indonesia, Initiatives, Kenya, Los Angeles, Mission, Mozambique, Nigeria, North America, Pakistan, Partners, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America, Sri Lanka, Strategies for the Future, Sudan, Thank You, Uganda, Videos, Voices from the Field, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

If you were considering donating to a worthy cause in 2010 and taking advantage of the tax benefits of charitable donations, now is your last chance to contribute!

As we look towards new efforts and projects in 2011 it is only through your generous funding that we will be able to continue our long term development projects in some of the poorest areas on this planet.

As you know, we have set the goal of raising $100,000 by December 31^st, and would greatly appreciate if you consider Real Medicine for your year-end donation.

In the spirit of Real Medicine Foundation’s concept of “Friends helping Friends helping Friends” so much is possible when we do it together.

From all of us here at Real Medicine: Thank you for your support!

Make your year-end donation now.

Tags: africa donation, charity donation, tax donation

For full PDF version of our report, please click on the link below:

RMF ANNUAL REPORT 2009/2010

Tags: 501 (c)(3), annual report, annual report 2010 charity, non-profit annual report, real medicine foundation annual report, Related Links

RMF partners with Peruvian American Medical Society (Spanish text)

September 14, 2010 in Disaster Relief, General, Peru, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, South America by Jonathan White | Comments closed

For our Spanish speaking readers, following is a report from our Project Director in Peru, Magali Pujalt, about a free medical outreach clinic that RMF and the Peruvian American Medical Society (PAMS) conducted last month. English version to follow soon.

MISION PAMS 2010

PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY

POLICLINICO PERUANO AMERICANO

En Pisco se llevo a cabo la misión PAMS 2010, bajo la dirección del Dr. Hugo Tapia ,con voluntarios en especialidades primarias de atención ,también 1 Cirujano el Dr.Rosales,1 Ginecólogo Dr. Vega, 1Pediatra el Dr. Vasquez,1Oftalmologo Dr. Pro y Nefrólogo Dr. Tapia, los cuales trabajaron en el Hospital San Juan de Dios del 9 al 13 de Agosto .Los voluntarios estuvieron en el POLICLINICO PERUANO AMERICANO compartiendo su tiempo entre nosotros y el Hospital , ellos dedicaron todas las mañanas 5 horas diarias durante la Misión .Logrando ser atendidos 350 pacientes en nuestra institución.

Los pacientes que necesitaban análisis clínicos para descarte de colesterol ,diabetes e infecciones urinarias, contaron con estas pruebas totalmente gratis ,así como la medicación en cualquiera de los casos mencionados ,también contamos en esta Misión con dos Odontólogos, los cuales por no contar en nuestra instalaciones con equipo dental , se limitaron a hacer extracciones , fluorización, charlas de higiene bucal y los caso s para curaciones dentales o endodoncias , las derivaban al hospital en las tardes para su tratamiento ,al igual que los casos para alguna de las especialidades ya nombradas .

También contamos con la presencia de la Sra. Judy y otras voluntarias de PAMS , las cuales trajeron ropa , zapatos y demás, la cual se dono en el poblado de Unidos por Dios de San Clemente distribuyéndola, entre las familias más necesitadas de la zona.

La Misión PAMS para el Policlínico Peruano Americano, compro entre medicinas e insumos médicos un total de $1640 Dólares americanos, de los cuales se utilizo un promedio de $600 en la Misión PAMS -POLICLINICO, quedando para uso de nuestro equipo médico la cantidad de $1040, la cual nos ayudara a tener un ahorro por 3meses en la comprar de medicinas .También nos donaron un estetoscopio

En esta Misión se logro operar una paciente de la Dra. Pia , la cual le diagnostico un Lipoma de 5cm. En el interior del brazo derecho , el cual le imposibilitaba desempeñar sus funciones como ama de casa ya que le generaba mucho dolor , esta señora de bajos recursos no contaba con los medios económicos para realizarse la operación particularmente además no contaba con seguro social, se le derivo al Cirujano de la Misión y gratuitamente pudo ser operada , ella se restablece satisfactoriamente, y también nos expresa su agradecimiento que quiere hacerla extensiva a los Médicos de PAMS y del Policlínico .

El día jueves el equipo de RMFP le ofreció una cena Buffet a los integrantes de la Misión PAMS, como muestra de nuestro agradecimiento, cena que fue financiada por amigos voluntarios de Pisco, también se le entrego al Dr. Tapia un Pergamino.

Nuestro más sincero agradecimiento al Dr. Tapia y a la Dra. Martina Fuchs por ser los gestores de que esta MISION se haya podido llevar a cabo en el Policlínico Peruano Americano, de la cual muchos de nuestros asiduos pacientes se han visto beneficiados desinteresadamente.

Magali M. de Pujalt

Directora