Las Gaitas Arriba

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

Overview

Las Gaitas is a small community located in Capira, West Panama Province, Panama. Global Brigades began working with community members in 2025. Las Gaitas does not have access to a water system and is working closely with Global Brigades to design a system that provides clean water to all community members. Most of the community members work in agriculture and they do not have a health center in the community.

Global Brigades is currently working with Medical and Dental brigades in Las Gaitas and the community is on the waitlist for eventual Holistic Model implementation as part of Global Brigades’ strategic plan in Panama

Province: West Panama

District: Capira

Homes : N/A
Population : N/A
Water System : No
Community Bank : Not Started
Electricity : N/A
Health Center : N/A
Community Health Workers : Not Started
% of Homes with Latrines : N/A
Education in the Community : N/A
Distance from Lodging Facility (km) : N/A

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. 

31

Medical Volunteers

133

Patient Consultations

8

Health Education Workshops

Health Post : No
Community Health Workers : Not Started

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS:

GB Panama’s Medical Dental team started the Agentes Comunitarios en Salud or ACeS program in 2016. “Agentes” from 10 communities in East Panama and Darien were Panama’s first community health workers. Las Gaitas doesn’t have Community Health Workers in training yet but Global Brigades is actively working on implementing this program.

Some of the CHW’s primary responsibilities include:

  • Promoting healthy practices and maintaining contact with GB staff about their progress
  • Performing First Aid in the case of an emergency
  • Managing the Patient Referral cases of the community
  • Promoting involvement with other GB programs such as Human Rights, Public Health and Microfinance workshops
  • Recording and monitoring members of their respective communities who:
    • Are pregnant
    • Have a chronic disease
    • Are children under five
      years old.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in Las Gaitas attend Medical and Dental Brigade clinics hosted in the community’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the school’s classrooms. Each day of the brigade, an average of 7 educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: +150

MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS IN LAS GAITAS:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Memorial University of Newfoundland Medical & New Life Volunteering Society July 2025 31

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.

39

Patient Consultations

15

Number of Extractions

27

Fluoride Treatments

12

Fillings Performed

6

Dental Education Workshops

DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN LAS GAITAS:

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
Memorial University of Newfoundland Medical & New Life Volunteering Society July 2025 31

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Las Gaitas 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 : No
% Homes with Access to Water : N/A
Water Council : N/A

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Las Gaitas 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 Las Gaitas 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 : N/A
% Homes with Eco-Stoves : N/A
% Homes with Water FIlters : N/A
% Homes with concrete floors : N/A
% Homes with bath/showers : N/A
Common House Materials : N/A

Local Reference Points

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

  • Feature

The Largest Movement for Global Health and Holistic Development

“Global Brigades” refers to one or more Global Brigades entities, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity; “Global Brigades, Inc.,” “Global Brigades Health and Development,” “Global Brigades UK,” “GBO Ghana,” “Asociacion Global Brigadas de Honduras,” and “Fundacion Brigadas Globales de Panama”. Global Brigades Health and Development (“Global Brigades Canada”) is a federally registered Canadian charity independent from Global Brigades Inc.

Guidestar 2021