TOP STORIES 2006 Medical Report This year has been very busy at the Roberto Clemente-Rancho Santana Clinic as we have continued to expand and build a wonderful reputation in Nicaragua as well as in the United States! Just one year ago, the Clinic served just two local villages, Limón I and Limón II. Now, more than 6,000 people from 48 area villages up and down Nicaragua's Pacific coast benefit from Clinic services, as well as the residents of nearby Rancho Santana and other developments. Our dedicated medical staff of four led by Dr. Julio Flores is now seeing an average of more than 1,000 patients a month. Overall, the clinic served 10,170 patients in 2006, which was a 25% increase from 2005! Also, we recently went through the process of making our services available on a 24-hour/7-days-a-week basis (which is up from nine hours a day and 3-5 days/week last year). The most common problems we saw at the Clinic in 2006 included respiratory problems (due to the dusty roads in the area), tonsillitis, parasitosis, dermatological infections, urinary tract infections and gastritis, arthritis, neuritis, and diarrhea. Other problems we saw regularly were hypertension, diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The Clinic has made such a huge difference in the medical care in the region, especially in emergency situations. This year Dr. Flores has seen some intense injuries. In the fall, a man came to the Clinic with severe trauma to his face. The facial muscles on the left side of his face were completely exposed to the bone and loosened. The patient also presented severe trauma to the left eye and cranium. Dr. Flores performed an emergency procedure to stabilize the patient until he could be transported to the main hospital. This preventive care helped save the man’s face and life. The proximity of the Clinic to the villages also benefits patients who suffer allergic reactions. A local worker was recently stung by a jellyfish. Scared and practically breathless, her family rushed her right to the clinic and within 15 minutes Dr. Flores counteracted the allergic reaction with a shot and an IV. In 2006 we also continued to carve out a niche in the community by offering many educational programs meant to inform local residents about preventive health measures. We worked with young mothers and target the issues of infant and child mortality. Also, we offered several programs for young children where they met regularly with Clinic nurse Martha Cerda Miranda to learn good health practices. This year our small medical team conducted health seminars at the local schools where they gave out donated supplies to the students like toothbrushes and clothes. Another health education program implemented in 2006 teaches teenagers about sex-education, community health, and hygiene. These programs have all been very well received. The Clinic staff often receives many thank you notes after their visits and it has been very gratifying to see the knowledge and supplies we have passed on to the community be put to use.
Please welcome the newest addition to the Límon community, Bertha Juliana.  Bertha Juliana at 16 months old! |
