Mexico Update: Energy, energy, energy!

Dra. Lupita in action

The new clinic established by our coopertive partner La Comon Yaj Nop Tic is bursting with community interest and support. It has been open for the past two Fridays and each day, more than 50 people have sought care from the GFH-trained nurses and doctors who volunteer their time with the clinic. Community health promoters trained by GFH arrive with women to be screened for cervical cancer.

According to GFH in-country staff Dra. Lupita Jovel, the outpouring of community support is incredible. Meanwhile, co-op partners CESMACH and Triunfo Verde are working on another clinic space just over two hours away in the town of Jaltenango. These new clinics intend to provide the cooperatives’ memberships with continued access to cervical cancer screening services, and other primary health care services.

Last week Dra. Lupita and CESMACH colleague Manual traveled to a community in Siltepec, a remote mountainous municipality where access to cervical cancer screening has been a particular challenge, especially in the rainy season. They were hosted by Monica Cordova Roblero, a nurse trained by GFH in March of 2010. With the support of local community health promoters who recruited women, Dra. Lupita and Monica conducted a one-day screening for cervical cancer. Together they examined 70 women, all of whom were recruited by CESMACH’s community health promoters. Once again, Dra. Lupita reported overwhelming support at the community level for the project.

These supportive supervision visits by GFH’s in-country doctor are integral to our training model. Dra. Lupita and the co-op coordinator work side-by-side with promoters, helping them talk with women about cervical cancer screening. Meanwhile, Dra. Lupita also sees patients with nurse Monica, which enables Dra. Lupita to evaluate and build upon the exam skills of trainees. As part of this, women associated with the coffee cooperative are seen for cervical cancer screening. This cultivates confidence in local screening services by GFH trained doctors and nurses and ongoing demand for screening services.

Stay tuned … as Dra. Lupita will be in touch with more updates and accomplishments next month!

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