Guias de Oriente

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

Overview

Guias de Oriente is located in the province of Coclé, in the western part of Panama. A typical house in this community is made of cement blocks and zinc sheets. Guias de Oriente has a school that offers kindergarten to 9th grade. Most of the community members work in agriculture or in businesses in the nearby larger towns. Guias de Oriente does not have a health outpost. Guias de Oriente has a turbine aqueduct that functions well. The top needs expressed by the community were improvements to healthcare, professional development, and security.

District: Antón
Province: Coclé

Homes : 400
Population : 1500
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Improved Sanitation : 70%
Education : Up to 9th grade
Distance from Panama City : 110 km

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.

Guias de Oriente has a Puesto de Salud. The most common illnesses reported by community members are diarrhea, colds, and conjunctivitis.

51

Volunteers

306

Patient Consultations

N/A

Vision Screenings Provided

18

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

A group of CHWs from East Panama, trained in 2019

The community of Guias de Oriente 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. Guias de Oriente 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.

A brigader shadows a patient consultation in El Jobo, Panama

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Guias de Oriente’s school building (pictured above). The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Volunteers assist with intake and triage, and shadow local doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. Each day of the brigade, an average of 18 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE # PATIENTS ATTENDED: 249

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN GUIAS DE ORIENTE

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
Illinois Wesleyan University Medical Brigade June 2019 19 Virginia Tech Medical Jan 2020 32

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.

180

Dental Patient Consultations

27

Extractions

6

Fillings Performed

130

Fluoride Treatments

BRIGADE INFORMATION

A dental charla in Ipeti Emberá, Panama

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Guias de Oriente’s school building (pictured above). The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Volunteers assist with intake and triage, and shadow local doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. Each day of the brigade, an average of 18 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE # PATIENTS ATTENDED: 249

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN GUIAS DE ORIENTE

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
Illinois Wesleyan University Medical Brigade June 2019 19 Virginia Tech University Medical Jan 2020 32

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Guias de Oriente but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the financing, delivery, and installation of a water system infrastructure, or repairs to existing infrastructure will start as soon as feasible.

 

Water System : Yes
System Type : Turbine Aqueduct
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 Guias de Oriente 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 : farming, fishing, unskilled labor
Existing micro-enterprises : small shops

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Guias de Oriente but has not yet begun with the Public Health Program. Now in the planning phase, the financing, delivery, and installation of household health infrastructure products will start as soon as feasible. 

Homes with flushing toilets : N/A
Homes with latrines : 100%
Homes with bath/shower : N/A
Common house materials : concrete blocks

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature