The Honduran Armed Forces concluded November 22 a series of clinics held throughout the year to provide medical care to the country’s poorest citizens.
The Honduran Armed Forces concluded November 22 a series of clinics held throughout the year to provide medical care to the country’s poorest citizens.
“This is the fourth time I’ve come to receive medical care this year because my health has improved a lot. Also, the doctors give me medicine and I can bring clothes from here to my family. For someone who is poor, this is very important,” said Julio Segovia, 83, who attended a November 16 clinic held in Tegucigalpa.
That’s where the brigades were inaugurated in February during an event attended by the President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Juan Orlando Hernández.
“It is a very important civic engagement for the country because part of having a better life is to prevent disease, prevent violence, and what we want is to have a healthy life,” he said, affirming the government’s support of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Security, who provided the clinics. Hernández also took the opportunity to encourage the public to actively participate in combating diseases that can be avoided with prevention – especially deaths caused by hemorrhagic and classic dengue, which can be fought by keeping clean homes and yards that can become breeding grounds for mosquitos.
In addition to general medical care, the clinics have treated chronic, acute and emerging diseases, according to Lieutenant Colonel of Military Health Dr. Lisandro Valle.
“The medical care has covered both dental and medical specialties, and we have also offered care in psychology, psychiatry, dermatology, cardiology, gastroenterology, internal medicine, orthopedics, among others. In Tegucigalpa alone, we have provided free care to more than 45,000 people.”
A successful year
More than 300,000 people across the country received care from the clinics in 2014, according to official estimates – and it’s expected that more than a million people will be treated over the next four years.
“The brigades were set up throughout the country in locations with an air unit, naval unit or combat unit, and particularly in the communities of Choluteca, Danlí, Juticalpa, Catacamas, Santa Rosa de Copán, Santa Bárbara, San Pedro Sula, Tela, La Ceiba, El Progreso, La Esperanza, Comayagua, Siguatepeque and Tegucigalpa,” Valle said.
In addition to medical care and medicine, participants also received assistance from stylists, who offered hairdressing services for men, women and children. The military also provided children’s games, music ensembles and clothing donations. At the Tegucigalpa Brigade alone, the military provided 4,200 medical consultations. For the 1,736 children in attendance, they set up bouncy castles and 13 piñatas, held 16 toy raffles, and launched 20 showers of confetti.
“We appreciate the assistance we have received from the Public Order and Military Police (POMP), Permanent Contingency Committee (COPECO), garment assembly factories, drugstores, Universidad Católica de Honduras (UCH), National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and Evangelical and Catholic churches,” said Lieutenant Colonel and logistics officer of the military hospital, Nahúm Canales Cruz.
Organizations that participate in the clinics are providing a valuable service to Honduras, according to Dr. Héctor Galindo Castellanos.
“I invite all civil society organizations to join in the work of these health conferences because this will result in greater benefits for the people who don’t have access to health systems due to low income, being outside the coverage of the system or living in rural areas that are difficult to access.”
The Honduran Armed Forces concluded November 22 a series of clinics held throughout the year to provide medical care to the country’s poorest citizens.
“This is the fourth time I’ve come to receive medical care this year because my health has improved a lot. Also, the doctors give me medicine and I can bring clothes from here to my family. For someone who is poor, this is very important,” said Julio Segovia, 83, who attended a November 16 clinic held in Tegucigalpa.
That’s where the brigades were inaugurated in February during an event attended by the President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Juan Orlando Hernández.
“It is a very important civic engagement for the country because part of having a better life is to prevent disease, prevent violence, and what we want is to have a healthy life,” he said, affirming the government’s support of the Armed Forces and Ministry of Security, who provided the clinics. Hernández also took the opportunity to encourage the public to actively participate in combating diseases that can be avoided with prevention – especially deaths caused by hemorrhagic and classic dengue, which can be fought by keeping clean homes and yards that can become breeding grounds for mosquitos.
In addition to general medical care, the clinics have treated chronic, acute and emerging diseases, according to Lieutenant Colonel of Military Health Dr. Lisandro Valle.
“The medical care has covered both dental and medical specialties, and we have also offered care in psychology, psychiatry, dermatology, cardiology, gastroenterology, internal medicine, orthopedics, among others. In Tegucigalpa alone, we have provided free care to more than 45,000 people.”
A successful year
More than 300,000 people across the country received care from the clinics in 2014, according to official estimates – and it’s expected that more than a million people will be treated over the next four years.
“The brigades were set up throughout the country in locations with an air unit, naval unit or combat unit, and particularly in the communities of Choluteca, Danlí, Juticalpa, Catacamas, Santa Rosa de Copán, Santa Bárbara, San Pedro Sula, Tela, La Ceiba, El Progreso, La Esperanza, Comayagua, Siguatepeque and Tegucigalpa,” Valle said.
In addition to medical care and medicine, participants also received assistance from stylists, who offered hairdressing services for men, women and children. The military also provided children’s games, music ensembles and clothing donations. At the Tegucigalpa Brigade alone, the military provided 4,200 medical consultations. For the 1,736 children in attendance, they set up bouncy castles and 13 piñatas, held 16 toy raffles, and launched 20 showers of confetti.
“We appreciate the assistance we have received from the Public Order and Military Police (POMP), Permanent Contingency Committee (COPECO), garment assembly factories, drugstores, Universidad Católica de Honduras (UCH), National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) and Evangelical and Catholic churches,” said Lieutenant Colonel and logistics officer of the military hospital, Nahúm Canales Cruz.
Organizations that participate in the clinics are providing a valuable service to Honduras, according to Dr. Héctor Galindo Castellanos.
“I invite all civil society organizations to join in the work of these health conferences because this will result in greater benefits for the people who don’t have access to health systems due to low income, being outside the coverage of the system or living in rural areas that are difficult to access.”
I think they could have trained people in all the airports to not let any traveller from places that have Ebola through let them through to countries that don’t have that disease. And they let them into this country out of carelessness therefore they knew it could happen. Now we must pray a lot so that malignant disease doesn’t bring the Dominican
population to an end. God is very powerful and will not abandon us let us trust God and in the trained personnel.