Access to Healthcare By: Mollie Walker

Patanatic, Guatemala Panajachel Sololá Godíne

Objectives Become familiar with the community we partnered with and take a glance at the background information Explain the barriers of access to healthcare in Patanatic and surrounding communities Discuss the implementation of access to healthcare in the sectors Spread awareness to others about the access that the community members have to access to healthcare

Background Patanatic, Guatemala is divided into four sectors. These four sectors are unique in their own ways and vary geographically. However, the health problems that were introduced were very similar amongst the sectors. Located in sector 2 is Centro Educativo y Salud Patanatic. This center helps provide medical care to more than 4.300 people yearly to the communities of Patanatic, San Pedro, San Juan, Cerro de Orro, San andres, San Pablo, and Panajachel.

Centro de Educativo Salud Patanatic Partnership with Woodland Public Charity 7 years of service to the community Provides medical care and checkups to the community. Neonatal, school medical checks, female annual well checkups, eye exams, ear care exams, diabetes exams, and family medical checkups Home visits, water filters and air quality are checked

Centro Educativo y de Salud Patanatic Cont. Private clinic Two nurses currently at the clinic Future surgeon completing school Three audiologist beginning their training Donated resources Limited government support Provides care for all four sectors of Patanatic and all who come to the clinic Nursing school soon to be implemented

Access To Healthcare Centro Educativo y Salud Patanatic provides care to communities outside of Patanatic., including: San Pedro, San Juan, Cerro de Orro, San andres, San Pablo, and Panajachel The World Health Organization, aims to improve the accessibility of safe and effective medicines for children Medicine prices and exchange rates made 1US dollar equal 8.1513 Quetzales The lowest average income is around 56 quetzales a day equaling $6.87 USD per day Medicines are less affordable

Hospital Nacional Juan De Dios RoDAS Solola National hospital for the State of Sololá Services provided shown on left Once the hospital has reached their maximum capacity for the day, they will turn them away

Top 10 Life Adjusting Health Issues Avila et al.

Highlights There is a real lack of access to healthcare throughout Guatemala, the partnership with Woodland Charities has helped provide care for Patanatic and surrounding areas when they might not have had prior access The community’s ability to help provide the foundation of the clinic and providing access to care throughout the community Access to care in Sololá is difficult and often must be traveled great distances to reach access or access to care is too expensive The benefits of donations and the expenses of medications

Interventions Woodland Charities is partnering with the School to provide a vitamin chewable to each child everyday Well child checks provided Home visits for elderly and diabetics Standardization of charting to provided better clarification on ways to chart Free care is provided at the clinic if families cannot afford the care

Conclusion The village of Patanatic has faced many challenges in regards to access to healthcare. The clinic has a bright future in store and is expanding to continue to provide care throughout the State and in surrounding communities The final push towards the nursing school will help provide more talented members of the community to help provide care. With Carlos David in his final steps of becoming a General Surgeon, the clinic will be able to provide better care to the members of the community Access to care is difficult with transportation being limited and care being extremely expensive Providing information on prevention than solely treatment alone will help limit some of the care needed

Clinical Experience Assessment practice An opportunity to use autonomy and complete assessments on our own to prepare for the future Language Barrier A great experience to understand how it feels to be on the opposite side of the barrier with amazing benefits of learning Lack of resources A way to provide care with the available resources and making them last longer

Cultural Experience Language Barriers The use of interpreters and having the ability to learn from them Terrain and Transportation The hike to Sector 4 was an experience Community There was so much to learn about the bond of the community and family structure A sense of happiness

References Anson, A., Ramay, B., de Esparza, A. R., & Bero, L. (2012). Availability, prices and affordability of the World Health Organization’s essential medicines for children in Guatemala. Globalization and Health, 8, 22. http://doi.org/10.1186/1744-8603-8- 22 Avila, C., Bright, R., Gutierrez, J., Hoadley, K., Manuel, C., & Romero, N. (2015). Guatemala Health System Assessment 2015 (M. P. Rodriguez, Ed.). USAID From the American People. doi:10.17307/wsc.v1i1.183.s6 http://www.woodlandcharity.org/