Five major public hospitals and SIAS in Guatemala have been provided essential medical equipment and personal protection accessories to benefit approximately 3,500 front line health workers against COVID-19. SIAS (Sistema Integral de Atención en Salud) is in charge of planning for first and second level medical attention countrywide, and as such in charge of distributing personal protection equipment to health care workers.
Guatemala Sur Rotary Club in partnership with Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club received a Global grant from The Rotary Foundation for USD $300,988 to purchase and distribute the essential equipment to various facilities.
Our needs assessment started with direct contact with Ms. Mirna Donis Herrarte, M.D. at the Ministry of Health, Salvador Paiz, Board of Directors member at Fundesa (Foundation for Development in Guatemala) and data from consultant Rodolfo Mendoza at Diestra. Two specific issues were addressed:
- Identify key recipient hospitals that would make the most impact
- Create a tailor-made list of medical and personal protection equipment and accessories
Preference was given to provide the equipment in the most urban areas in Guatemala, which would suffer the highest contagion rates. This led to the identification of the following medical facilities:
- Hospital General San Juan de Dios – public hospital
- Hospital Roosevelt – public hospital
- Hospital Nacional Hermano Pedro - regional hospital in Antigua, Sacatepéquez department
- Hospital Nacional Especializado de Villa Nueva - Covid-19 specialized temporary hospital
- Hospital Temporal del Parque de la Industria - Covid-19 specialized temporary hospital
- SIAS’s Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Health in Guatemala
The Ministry of Health coordinated the needs from these medical facilities and comprised the following composite list of items, quantities, and the recipients. As shown, the quantities involved are significant.
It was a massive manpower effort in handling the merchandise. It was intensive in terms of the required volunteers and logistics for sorting and delivery. This effort was recorded in this video:
Total | Equipo médico y de protección | Total equipo donacion | Hospital Roosevelt | Temporal Parque Industria | Villa Nueva | Hospital San Juan de Dios | Betancourt Antigua | Departamento Epidemiologia |
EQUIPO MEDICO | ||||||||
1 | Pediatric ventilator Ventilador pediatrico | 1 | _ | _ | 1 | _ | _ | _ |
20 | Vital Sign Monitor Monitor de signos vitales | 20 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | _ |
100 | Flujómetros | 100 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | _ |
20 | Phlegm aspirator Aspirador de flemas | 20 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | _ |
EQUIPO DE PROTECCION PERSONAL | ||||||||
7000 | Mask KN95 Mascarillas KN95 | 7000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 1000 | 2000 |
3500 | Safety Glasses: Gafas de seguridad | 3500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 1000 |
6500 | Nonsterile Gloves Guantes | 6500 | 920 | 920 | 920 | 920 | 950 | 1860 |
70000 | Discard medical mask Mascarillas descartables | 70000 | 10000 | 10000 | 10000 | 10000 | 10000 | 20000 |
3000 | Face Shield Caretas | 3000 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 300 | 1500 |
3500 | Bio Safety unit Traje de polipropileno 70grs | 3500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 500 | 1000 |
1465 | Mask N95 Mascarillas N95 3M 8210 | 1465 | 300 | 385 | 380 | 300 | 100 | |
5 | oxímetro de pulso para dedo azul | 5 | 5 | |||||
5 | mascara para oxigeno baja resistencia evita la Re-inhalación adulto c/válvula de seguridad | 5 | 5 | |||||
2 | kit de consumible escafrandra para ventilación no invasiva marca ecleris | 2 | 2 | |||||
2 | cuello escafandra | 2 | 2 |
The equipment and accessories were received by Hospital Directors and senior staff members at each site. Specific mention is given to the delivery at the Roosevelt Hospital. The delivery was made directly to Guatemala Health Minister, Maria Amelia Flores, MD, (center right) and Vice Minister Francisco Coma, MD (center left). In attendance was Roosevelt Hospital Director Marco Antonio Barrientos, MD (left) Sur Club President Benjamin de la Cruz (right) also participated. Through this grant, a vast support was provided to five major hospitals and SIAS from the Ministry of Health, protecting vital healthcare providers, their families and also providing equipment to better treat Covid-19 patients. With this effort, many citizens are benefitting, and therefore Guatemala is better protected from this deadly pandemic.
This grant helped address an emergency situation with a timely and well-focused response. The supplies will last for quite some time, hopefully until the pandemic begins to fade. The Ministry of Health and each of the hospitals are responsible to add new supplies as needed.
2021-04-07
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