Special Announcements
10/22/08 – Valle Bonito inaugurates new water, sanitation, & public health systems
On October 22, 2008, Valle Bonito, a village which has been working with the Medical Brigade’s Remote Village Project since 2006, inaugurated new potable water and sanitation systems.
With project management and funding provided by the Remote Village Project, the people of Valle Bonito contributed over 5,300 man days of manual labor, along with raw materials, to construct a gravity-fed potable water system that taps into its 290 homes. Along with the new water system, 136 new pour-flush latrines were constructed in the village. Now, approximately 1,800 people in all 290 homes have sustainable access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation facilities, as defined by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Funds totaling $83,000 were raised in the U.S. and the village contribution was valued at $37,000, combining for a total development cost of $120,000. As such, for approximately $46 per villager, raised here in the U.S., a sustainable water system that will deliver clean water to each house for 25 years or more has been developed. Each home in the village pays 25 Honduran Lempiras (approximately $1.32) per month for service. Pictures are available by accessing the following link: Valle Bonito Water Project Photos 2008
The Remote Village Project develops sustainable healthcare models in select remote villages in the mountainous, coffee-growing regions surrounding the Comayagua valley in Central Honduras. With approval from the Honduran government, the Project provides didactic classroom instruction and clinical training to community leaders, who function as Community Health Workers (CHWs). These CHWs then provide year-round counseling on community health improvements and preventive care. Additionally, with the support and supervision of Medical Brigade physicians, the CHWs also diagnose and treat a pre-set, limited number of medical conditions common to central Honduras. The Medical Brigade provides all necessary equipment and medications to appropriately empower the CHWs and visits each village quarterly to provide continuing education and track progress. The Remote Village Project also seeks to assist these communities in developing the preventive health measures of all preventive health measures – sustainable potable water and sanitation systems.
11/07 – Virginia Hospital Center Donates to Centro de Rehabilitacion Integral de Comayagua (CRIC)
The Virginia Hospital Center Rehabilitation department has donated an ultrasound machine to the Centro de Rehabilitacion Integral de Comayagua (CRIC) rehabilitation center in Comayagua, Honduras.
During the Medical Brigade’s 8th annual week-long medical mission trip to Honduras in November 2007, physical therapists Dana Edwards, Rano Singh, Marta Hahn and Erin Zimmerman worked long hours with many patients who had been unable to get full rehabilitative treatment, and it became clear to them that an ultrasound machine was urgently needed to assist patients in their recovery. For example, one patient had been in a car accident and sustained a rotator cuff tear. He subsequently had surgery to repair but was left with a extremely tight shoulder and limited range of motion, significantly impacting his daily mobility. An ultrasound machine could be used prior to stretching to make the rehabilitative exercise more effective.
Upon their return to Virginia, the physical therapists searched for a suitable machine that could be donated and shipped to Comayagua. They were successful, and as a result the Brigade took a Chattanooga Intelect Model 700 electric stimulation & therapeutic ultrasound machine to Honduras on the 9th annual mission trip in November 2008 to give to the rehabilitation facility. This machine has the capability to use a combination of both electric stimulation and therapeutic ultrasound. Electric stimulation is used for pain relief and for stimulating muscles that are weakened by disuse atrophy or other injuries such as stroke. Ultrasound is used for pain relief and for deep heating of tight tissues in preparation for stretching.
11/07 – Eyecare Team Participates in U.S. Military Medical Readiness Exercise
For the first time, a three-member Brigade eye care team went to El Salvador for two days in May to provide medical care as part of a U.S. Army regional disaster exercise.
During the Brigades 8th annual week-long trip to Honduras in November 2007, Barry Byer, MD, Executive Director of the medical brigade, met with Col.. Michael Sigmon, MD, the commander of the US Army Medical Element at Soto Cano airbase. Dr. Sigmon was not only interested in best practices of Brigade operations, but also in exploring potential areas for cooperative ventures.
One promising area was exercise participation. Medical Readiness Training Exercises (MEDRETEs) are conducted by the US Department of Defense as part of the governments program to provide medical care to the underserved communities in the 3rd world. While a variety of medical care is provided, the MEDRETEs do not have the capability to provide eyeglasses services. This is an area in which the Brigade excels and we volunteered to provide this much needed help.
After months of discussion and coordination, it was decided that the best opportunity for a our participation would be a MEDRETE in El Salvador May 6-8 as part of an Earthquake Simulation Exercise. Dr. Byer headed up the three-person eye care team to set up and hold an eye care clinic to distribute recycled eyeglasses, while also training the Army personnel on our equipment and procedures.
The trip was a resounding success. The MEDRETE was able to dispense eyeglasses to 574 children and adults from age four to 97 who had no previous access to optical services. The improvement of the patients quality of life cannot be overstated; one memorable patient was 97-year old Jose, who after being fitted with his first pair of eyeglasses flung out his arms and excitedly exclaimed Claro! Claro! as he pointed to the book in front of him and the printed posters on the wall.
The US Army also brought in several El Salvadorans to assist two optometrists, one military ophthalmologist and two bilingual soldiers; their participation greatly increased the Brigade teams ability to process a greater number of patients.
As Dr. Sigmon summed up, this MEDRETE is truly a cooperative effort with multi-national military and civilian agencies working side-by-side and it truly shows the ability of the Americas to help each other when needs arise.
The Brigade also requested and received permission to participate in the Army’s MEDRETE in August 2008, when they traveled to the remote northern Mosquito Coast of Honduras on a similar mission.