Programs / Medical / Communities / Montana el Izopo «

Monatana el Izopo Healthcare Access

Montana el Izopo is a community located about 45 minutes away from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The community has access to a local health center that is at most a 20 minute walk for community members. This local health center is known as a CESAR, which is the smaller of the two different types of health centers provided by the government. It is usually staffed by at least one auxiliary nurse. This particular center is also staffed by members of the air force as an air force base is in Montana el Izopo. Should a visitor to the health center require more medical attention than can be given at the center, community members can travel to the hospitals in Tegucigalpa  most commonly by bus or on foot. Overall, Montana el Izopo has a decent health center that is readily accessible.

Community Demographics

Montana el Izopo is home to about 1,345 people and has about 225 homes, with an average of 6 inhabitants per home. It is the located at the top of a mountain full of windmills and is surrounded by about 8 other, smaller communities: Tizatillo, Mascala, Cuevecitas, Aguacate, Amapola, Boqueron, San Buena Ventura, and Gualijiquil. Since the health center is in Montana el Izopo, these smaller communities must hike up the mountainous road to seek care. They also attend the medical brigades that take place in Montana el Izopo. 

Brigade Site Information

The air force base doubles as the health center and is the site for brigades. The base is large and the rooms are close to one another, with about 4 rooms for triage, consultation, OB/GYN and pharmacy, a small kitchen area for Dental, and plenty of outdoor space for charla and Data Informatics. Doctors spend an average of 10 minutes with each patient and volunteers are able to provide 5-6 educational charlas a day.  Each brigade sees an average of 300 patients per day. Below are some pictures of the Brigade Site:

Current Community Initiatives

There are currently no initiatives taking place in Montana el Izopo.

Community Health Statistics

Below is a chart showing the illnesses treated on our most recent brigade to Montana el Izopo.

Below is a chart showing the dental procedures performed on our most recent brigade to Montana el Izopo.

Current Status

Last Visit: 3/11/2014

This past March, a group of volunteers from Washington University in St.Louis visited Montana el Izopo on their brigade.  With the help of both Honduran and US health care professionals, they saw a total of 436 medical patients over three days, as well as 65 dental patients. Patients came from 8 different surrounding communities to receive medical care on the brigade.

Visit Other Programs in Montana el Izopo

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 Montana el Izopo:

Dental MicrofinanceEngineeringWaterPublic HealthBusinessArchitectureCHW