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Punta Novillo Healthcare Access

Punta Novillo is located in the South of Honduras on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Punta Novillo does not have a health center in the community due to its small size.  The closest health center is in a community called Puerto Grande.  This health center is a CESAMO, or the larger of the two different types of health centers that the Honduran government provides.  At this health center, patients can receive consultations from both nurses and doctors.  Additionally, they may be able to see a dentist if available.  To reach the health center, community members have to walk about an hour.  To receive additional health care beyond the scope of the doctors, they may have to walk up to two hours to reach the nearest regional hospital.

Community Demographics

Punta Novillo is home to about 800 people and has about 110 homes, with an average of 7 inhabitants per home.  It is is located close to a main road and has access to a large urban area and municipality called San Lorenzo.  This is a main area of commerce where community members can get access to more resources.  However, it is still a relatively remote community very far from any major cities.  During brigades, patients come from about 5 different communities to receive medical and dental care.

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Brigade Site Information

Since this community does not have a health center, the brigade is held at the school.  The school is on the smaller side, with only 3 classrooms but ample outdoor space for charlas and triage.  Brigades will see an average of 250 patients each brigade day, and doctors typically spend about 15 minutes with each patient.  Brigades are able to provide an average of 5-6 adult charlas a day, totaling about 6 hours of adult health education each brigade. Below are some pictures of the Brigade Site:

Current Community Initiatives

There are no other organizations that bring brigades to Punta Novillo.  Global Brigades has not yet been able to implement any programs other than medical/dental brigades in this community.

Community Health Statistics

Below is a chart showing the illnesses treated on our most recent brigade to Punta Novillo.

Below is a chart showing the dental procedures performed on our most recent brigade to Punta Novillo.

Current Status

Last Visit: 3/19/2014

This past March, a group of volunteers from the University of Arizona visited Punta Novillo on their brigade.  With the help of both Honduran and US health care professionals, they saw a total of 237 medical patients in 1 day, as well as 33 dental patients.  Patients came from 5 different surrounding communities to receive medical care on the brigade.

Visit Other Programs in Punta Novillo

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 Punta Novillo:

Dental MicrofinanceEngineeringWaterPublic HealthBusinessArchitectureCHW