Bajo Chiquito

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

Overview

Bajo Chiquito is located in the biodiverse region of West Panama and celebrated its transition with Global Brigades in April 2022. People in Bajo Chiquito are primarily dedicated to agriculture, fishing, cattle raising, and the sale of artisanal crafts. The common house in this community is made of wood, mud, and zinc, the community members have access to a community school however if they want to continue with their higher education they need to travel to the nearest community to do so. When Global Brigades approached the community, they expressed that their top three needs were: access to drinking water, an improvement of road conditions, and a health centre. Global Brigades is currently working with Medical Brigades in Bajo Chiquito and the community is on the wait list for eventual Holistic Model implementation as part of Global Brigades’ strategic plan in Panama.

Corregimiento: Darien
District: Darien

Homes : 83
Population : 382
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Not Started
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : Not Started
% of Homes with Latrines : 6%
Education in the Community : Up to primary school
Distance from Lodging Facility : 2 hours

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 neighbouring communities. The physician density in Panama remains at around 630 people for every 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.

Bajo Chiquito has a health centre in the community that provides members with access to medical aid in case they need it. This health centre has essential equipment to attend to community members but they have to commute to the nearest community when they need more complex treatments or medication. Community members in Bajo Chiquito expressed that the top 3 most prevalent illnesses are the common cold, diarrhoea, fever, Chagas, and vomiting.

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS:

Bajo Chiquito is currently overseeing the possibility to provide training to community members to engage as Community Health Workers. 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

The Medical and Dental Brigade in Bajo Chiquito will start as soon as feasible.

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN BAJO CHIQUITO:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers

 

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Bajo Chiquito but has not yet begun with the Dental Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, mobile clinics will start as soon as feasible.

Distance to Nearest Health Center : 45 KM
Community Health Workers : Not Started
Common Illnesses in Children : Diarrhea, respiratory infection, vomiting, fever
Common Illnesses in Adults : Malaria, Chagas disease, skin rashes

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Bajo Chiquito but has not yet begun with the Engineering Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, the surveying, improvement or construction of a water system will start as soon as feasible.

Water System : No
Type of Water System : Turbine Aqueduct and reserve tank
% of Homes with Access to water : 0%
Water Council : No

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Bajo Chiquito but has not yet begun with the Water Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, the surveying, improvement or construction of a water system will start as soon as feasible.

Water System : Yes
Type of Water System : Turbine Aqueduct and reserve tank
% of Homes with Access to Water : 0%

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

BAJO CHIQUITO’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

Community members of Bajo Chiquito lack access to financial resources within the community. The majority of community members do not have bank accounts and there are only limited informal forms of credit available within the community. Larger financial institutions do not approve loans to community members without a fixed income, which makes it difficult for this community since its primary source of income comes from agriculture. Long distances, membership fees, and credit records are other barriers community members face when trying to access financial resources.

When feasible, Global Brigades will start the Business Program and training in Bajo Chiquito.

Local Businesses : 7 mini markets
Economic Activities : Agriculture, artisan goods, skilled labor, traders
Community Bank : Not Started

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Bajo Chiquito but has not yet begun with the Public Health Brigades program. Now in the planning phase, the delivery and installation of household health products will start as soon as feasible.

% of houses with latrines : 6%
% of homes with flushing toilets : 0%
% of homes with water storage units : 1%
% of homes with traditional stoves : 12%

BAJO CHIQUITO’S ACTION PLAN

In 2022, UNICEF along with the Global Brigades WASH program signed a contract to respond to the needs of 6 communities in Panama. From this contract, an action plan was developed that would have the main objective of assessing the water, sanitation and hygiene needs of the aforementioned communities. These communities are also known for being the destination of people who are immigrating; therefore, they have ¨Estaciones de Recepcion de Migrantes¨, (Migrants reception stations) (ERP) within the communities where immigrants can rest and help themselves for a while. These stations are also a focal point of this action plan.

The role of Global Brigades WASH team in this action plan is to keep drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene systems operational within ERMs and migrant host communities. Among the functions of the WASH team are:

  • Prepare personalized operational plans for each drinking and residual water treatment plant existing in the MREs
  • Prepare preventive, corrective and predictive maintenance manuals for treatment plants
  • Verify the quality of drinking water supplied at migrant reception stations
  • Coordinate the activities within the ERM with different institutions that are in this area
  • Optimize the use of inputs and resources allocated for these activities

In Bajo Chiquito, the plan focuses on the construction of a water filtration system that connects to the existing health services supply, the installation and connection of new pipes to the houses, the purchase of garbage tanks and the construction of garbage trenches.

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature