Arreti

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Arreti is located in the Darien, in the eastern part of Panama. The typical house is made of cement blocks, bricks, or wood. Arreti has a primary and a middle-school that offer from kindergarten to 9th grade. For secondary education, children must travel outside the community. Most of the community members work in agriculture and fishing. There is a health outpost in the community that hosts mobile clinics from the Ministry of Health every few months. The next closest health facility is the Metetí Health Center which is over 20 minutes away. The community currently has access to a water system and about 70% of homes have a latrine. There is no community bank or cooperative in Arreti that offers savings or loans services.

Corregimiento: Rio Iglesias
District: Chepigana
Province: Darien

*the above image is of a farm in East Panama and does not necessarily reflect the appearance of Arreti

Homes : 150
Population : 600
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Latrines : 70%
Education : Up to 9th grade
Distance to Lodging Facility : 30-45 minutes

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

Even though Panama is a country with a lot of economic growth, this growth does not apply equally to all Panamanians, especially those in rural areas. This results in stark inequality when it comes to healthcare access. The Panamanian Ministry of Health (MINSA) provides two different types of health facilities throughout rural Panama: Centros de Salud and Puestos de Salud. Centros are the larger of the two, often found in municipalities, and typically have at least one physician on staff at all times with nurses and potentially a dentist. Puestos are found sporadically in rural communities and generally have a single nurse available. 

Even with this coverage, the Centros frequently lack a full pharmacy and the staff capacity to see every patient each day. After walking long distances or paying for a bus, rural visitors to the Centros can expect long wait times given the limited staff and resources to meet the demand from all neighboring communities. The physician density in Panama remains around 630 people for every one doctor. According to the World Health Organization, there should be a maximum of 435 people per physician to qualify a country as having adequate access to medical attention.

The community of Arreti has a Puesto de Salud, and the nearest Centro de Salud is a 20 minute drive away in the town of Metetí. The top 3 illnesses that are prevalent in Arreti are cold, diarrhea, diabetes.

257

Volunteers

1,102

Patient Consultations

24

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

A group of CHWs from East Panama, trained in 2019

The community of Arreti does not yet have Community Health Workers. Global Brigades Panama Medical Program is working diligently to train volunteers as CHWs in its partner communities as part of the Holistic Model. Arreti will receive training as soon as possible to further support the health of its community members.

Community Health Workers, or Agentes Comunitarios en Salud (ACeS), work on a volunteer basis as advocates for healthcare within their communities. Their primary responsibilities include: educating community members to prevent common illnesses, providing emergency first aid, supporting pregnant mothers and newborns, and following up with chronic patients. The presence of these volunteers and their advocacy for health within their community contributes to the sustainability of healthcare supported by Global Brigades’ Medical Program and is one of the most impactful disease prevention strategies in rural communities.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Arreti’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Each day of the brigade, an average of 4 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 189

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN ARRETI:

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
California State University San Marcos/University of Missouri Medical Brigades May 2013 35 Wayne State University Medical Brigades February 2014 25
University of Miami Medical Brigades May 2015 35 California State University East Bay Medical Brigades June 2016 32
New Hampshire Area Medical Brigades May 2017 31 University of Virginia/Ohio University/Milwaukee Medical Brigade January 2019 25
State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook Medical Brigade May 2019 33 West University University Medical Brigade March 2023 59

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS

Working closely with the Medical Program, the Dental Program provides fillings, extractions, and fluoride treatments as a standard part of medical brigades. Most community members do not have regular access to dental care due to the lack of a dentist within a reasonable distance.

 

312

Dental Patient Consultations

121

Fluoride Treatments

121

Extractions Performed

10

Fillings Performed

A dental charla in Ipeti Emberá, Panama

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Arreti’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Each day of the brigade, an average of 4 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 189

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN ARRETI

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
California State University San Marcos/University of Missouri Medical Brigades May 2013 35 Wayne State University Medical Brigades February 2014 25
University of Miami Medical Brigades May 2015 35 California State University East Bay Medical Brigades June 2016 32
New Hampshire Area Medical Brigades May 2017 31 University of Virginia/Ohio University/Milwaukee Medical Brigade January 2019 25
State University of New York (SUNY) Stony Brook Medical Brigade May 2019 33 West Virginia University Medical Brigade March 2023 59

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Arreti but has not yet begun with the Water Program. If there is a need, the Water Program will begin implementing a new water system or any necessary repairs to existing infrastructure as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
System Type : N/A
Homes connected to water : 100%
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Arreti but has not yet begun with the Business Program. In the planning phase, local staff is working with community members to assess the economic needs of the community, establish a community bank, and identify micro-enterprises that can benefit from on-brigade consultations.

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : Agriculture and fishing
Existing Microenterprises : 2 kiosks

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Arreti but has not yet begun with the Public Health Program. If there is a need, the financing, delivery, and installation of household health infrastructure products will start as soon as feasible.

Homes with flushing toilets : 70%
Homes with latrines : 100%
Homes with baths/showers : N/A
Common house materials : concrete blocks, wood

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

  • Feature