Guatemala receives support from American doctors

More than 50 members of the United States Armed Forces, members of the Miami Southern Command, are in Guatemala providing medical assistance in the areas of ophthalmology, dentistry and orthopedics, as part of the actions of the United States Bravo task force.

The mission aims to help low-income Guatemalans who currently seek care at the National Ophthalmology Unit -UNO- located in the capital city and at the Hospital Regional de Occidente, located in the department of Quetzaltenango, in the west of the country.

In the area of ​​ophthalmology, there are more than 30 specialists from HEART 22 those who have participated in the transplant of nine corneas and 40 cataract surgeries, in addition to the exchange of knowledge between Guatemalan and American professionals.

“HEART doctors are in the operating rooms, supervising students, with specialists and students,” said María Liliana Ruiz, Manager of the National Ophthalmology Unit, who explained that this entity is the largest benchmark for care for patients with visual problems and It has a high demand for people from all over the Guatemalan territory.

Ricardo Aviles, a Honduran doctor from the HEART 22 team, also highlighted the importance of exchanging knowledge among specialists, ensuring that the main intention is “win wins”, that is, that everyone learns and shares experiences.

“The idea is to benefit a large number of patients, but we do not focus on numbers, we focus more on quality of care and the fact that there is a good professional exchange and strengthening of the residency programs of the countries where we are working. Aviles remarked.

Aviles also related that they work considering the needs of the country: “We asked them what they need, they told us that they had a large number of patients in need of a cornea transplant, so we do our work in the United States so that corneas are obtained and benefit the patients,” he explained.

At the Western Regional Hospital -HRO- they have the support of two teams of American specialists. In the area of ​​orthopedics, the work that Guatemalan doctors have programmed in patient care is supported.

Dr. Miguel Coello explained that medical resources are also provided to carry out the necessary interventions, strengthening the work that is carried out in the agenda of the care center. “We join what they already have,” said the expert, emphasizing that what they do is increase the capabilities offered by the hospital.

Claire Hagen, orthopedic instrumentalist, adds that the team is made up of seven people, and that it is very satisfying to offer help to those who need it. “If we can support and help patients we did a very good thing,” she recounted.

The dentistry team is made up of nine specialists, who have also joined resident doctors from the Western Regional Hospital to attend to the needs of those seeking oral care, mainly focused on minor surgery such as tooth extraction.

Dr. Wilmer Amador, Medical Officer of HEART 22, indicated that there was little influx of patients due to the pandemic, but that with the arrival of the team of foreign doctors, there has been a greater demand for patients every day.

Henry Foerster, a dentist with HEART 22 and a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, also stressed that the diet of the Guatemalan population is related to dental care, emphasizing the importance of prevention.

American doctors and technicians will be in Guatemala for two weeks, from August 18 to early September, with a view to treating the largest number of patients.

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