Cerro Cama

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

Overview

Cerro Cama is a small community located in La Chorrera District in West Panama. Global Brigades began working with community members in 2015. A typical house in Cerro Cama is made of concrete, blocks, and bricks. Cerro Cama has a health post in the community, which means community members can have basic medical aid in case of emergency. About 100% of homes have an adequate toilet and they have a water system. The main form of employment is agriculture, fishing, and skilled labour. The top 3 needs expressed by the community were student retention until graduation, better economic conditions and a permanent doctor in the community. Cerro Cama has a school where community member can go up to 9th grade. 

Corregimiento: Amador
District: La Chorrera
Province: West Panama

Homes : 400
Population : 1000
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : Not Started
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : Yes
Community Health Workers : Not Started
% of Homes with Latrines : 100%
Education in the Community : Up to 9th grade

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. 

Cerro Cama has a Puesto de Salud or Health Post where they can get basic medical aid but need to travel to the closest corresponding Centro de Salud in another community, which costs about $4 round trip by bus if they want to make an appointment with a specialist. The most common illnesses seen within the community are cold and scabies.

307

Medical Volunteers

3,753

Patient Consultations

305

Health Education Workshops

Health Post : Yes
Community Health Workers : Not Started
Common illnesses in Children : Cold
Common illnesses in Adults : Cold and scabies

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS:

Cerro Cama doesn’t have Community Health Workers in training yet but Global Brigades is actively working on implementing this program. 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.

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS IN CERRO CAMA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University oF Maryland Baltimore County Medical Brigade March 2015 20 Saint Louis University Medical Brigade January 2016 31
Syracuse Area Medical Brigade January 2017 35 San Francisco State University Medical Brigade June 2017 46
State University of New York (SUNY) (Buffalo Area Pre-Med) Medical Brigade March 2019 45 Carroll University Medical Brigade January 2020 20
Duke University Medical Brigade March 2022 20 Milwaukee School of Engineering Medical Brigade March 2024 21
Eli Lilly Connecting Hearts Abroad Medical Brigade November 2024 16

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS

A dental Charla in a community in Panama

In 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 dentists within a reasonable distance.

155

Patient Consultations

82

Number of Extractions

97

Fluoride Treatments

DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN CERRO CAMA:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Saint Louis University Medical Brigade January 2016 31 Syracuse Area Medical Brigade January 2017 35
San Francisco State University Medical Brigade June 2017 46 State University of New York (SUNY) (Buffalo Area Pre-Med) Medical Brigade March 2019 45
Carroll University Medical Brigade January 2020 20 Indiana University Dental Brigade May 2022 23
University of California Los Angeles & University of Washington Dental Brigade August 2023 30 Milwaukee School of Engineering Medical Brigade March 2024 21
Eli Lilly Connecting Hearts Abroad Medical Brigade November 2024 16

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Cerro Cama 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
Type of System : Gravity Aqueduct
% Homes with Access to Water : 100%
Water Council : Yes
Number of Members : 7

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

CERRO CAMA’S ECONOMIC CHALLENGE

Community members in Cerro Cama 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. Larger financial institutions do not approve loans to community members without a fixed income, making it difficult for local micro-enterprises to grow and thrive.

Most community members cite the distance to the nearest bank as the main discouragement to having a personal savings account. Even if individuals wish to travel the distance, not all community members can become members of these financial institutions–cooperatives require monthly membership fees, savings accounts often require a fixed income, and the cost of travel provides an additional barrier.

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Cerro Cama but has not yet begun with the Business Program. The implementation of microfinance literacy will start as soon as feasible.

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Cerro Cama but has not yet begun with the Public Health Program. The implementation of public health services and the improvement of infrastructure will start as soon as feasible.

% Homes with Latrines : 100%
% Homes with Eco-Stoves : 0%
% Homes with Water FIlters : 60%
% Homes with concrete floors : 65%
% Homes with bath/showers : 100%
Common House Materials : Cement bricks, blocks, zinc

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature