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El Tirao Medical Access

El Tirao is located just within the Darién province in Eastern Panama.  It is

bordered by Aguas Frias to the West and Embera Puru to the East.  One of El

Tirao's main challenges is that the Panamerican Highway in this area is of

extremely poor quality.  Accessing the community is difficult and slow. GB

hosts brigades at El Tirao's elementary school which is right fof the highway

and next door to the community's health post.  The health post is run by one

Nurse Assistant who works there 5 days a week with very limited supplies

and often without electricity.  If she is not available or does not have

equipment, there is no healthcare available in the community.  The closest

health center is in Santa Fe, about 40 minutes away by bus.  There, nurses

and doctors are available in the morning, and medications are usually

available.  It is costly and inconvenient for community members to travel to

the health center, so the community is very excited to have better access to

better care through Global Brigades.

 

Community Demographics

El Tirao is home to about 450 people and has about 130 homes,
with an average of 3-4 inhabitants per home.  El Tirao is primarily a

Latino community.  The health care center in Santa Fe is shared by nearby

communities such as Aguas Frias, Arimae, Embera Puru, Pueblo Nuevo,

Quebrada Honda, Zapallal, and Zimba.

 

Brigade Site Information

With the cooperation of the Education Ministry and the local school director, Medical and Dental Brigades host clinics in the community school. The school consists of 4 classrooms, a kitchen, a cafeteria, a basketball court, and a computer room so we have the ability to set up each clinic station in its own classroom. Volunteers will see an average of 80-100 patients per day.

 

Past Charla Topics

Oral Hygiene

Hand Washing

Germ Transmission

Sexual Health

Past Brigade Information and Statistics

Medical Brigades Chapters that Worked in El Tirao
Medical Brigades Chapter	Date	Volunteers
Jesuit Collaborative	March 2012	14
Pennsylvania State University	March 2013	43
North Carolina Central University & Oakland University	December 2013	43
Pennsylvania State University	March 2015	26
Small Group Brigade	July 2015	6

 

Medical Numbers
Brigades Chapter	Patients	Healthcare Professionals	Referrals
Jesuit Collaborative	376	4	-
Pennsylvania State University	298	4	-
North Carolina Central University & Oakland University	245	8	1
Pennsylvania State University	279	4	4
Small Group Brigade	76	5	-

 

Dental Numbers
Brigades Chapter	Patients	Extractions	Fluoride Treatments	Dental Restorations
Pennsylvania State University	128	67	57	-
North Carolina Central University & Oakland University	-	66	-	-
Pennsylvania State University	27	45	10	-
Small Group Brigade	34	15	19	13

Last updated: February 2015

 

 

Visit Other Programs in El Tirao

Global Brigades strives to implement a model of Holistic Development in communities through a system of collectively implementing health, economic, and education initiatives to strategically meet a community's development goals. Learn more about the other programs being implemented in El Tirao:

 

BusinessEnvironmental Human Rights  Microfinance Public Health