San Martin

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

Overview

San Martin is located within the municipality of Choluteca in the department of Choluteca in southern Honduras. Children in the community have access to education up to ninth grade. Most of the community members work in agriculture and mining. The top needs expressed by San Martin’s inhabitants during their initial communications with Global Brigades include potable water, improved road access, and medical attention.

Municipality: Choluteca
Department: Choluteca

Homes : 318
Population : 1,979
Water System : No
Community Bank : Yes
Electricity : No
Health Center : Yes
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Latrines : 95%
Education : Up to 9th Grade
Distance from Lodging Facility : 22 km

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

The Honduran government provides two different types of health centers throughout rural Honduras: Centros de Salud Médico Odontológico (CESAMOs) and Centros de Salud Rural (CESARs). CESAMOs 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. CESARs are found sporadically in rural communities and generally have a single nurse available. Even with this coverage, it is important to note that medications, supplies, and materials are often not available in these health centers and the physician density in Honduras remains around 1,220 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.

There is a CESAR in the community of San Martin. The most common illnesses reported by community members include dengue fever, the flu, chronic cough, diabetes, and arterial hypertension.

299

Volunteers

4,024

Patient Consulations

153

Vision Screenings Provided

167

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

The community of San Martin has access to one Community Health Worker (CHW). This CHW was trained in the community of San Martin and works alongside CHWs in surrounding communities.

Community Health Workers, or Guardianes de Salud, work on a volunteer basis as advocates for health care within their communities. While this is an existing program in Honduras and Guardianes de Salud are identified by other organizations and some health centers, Global Brigades is able to bridge gaps in access to training and provide more comprehensive technical skills. Our CHWs are some of the very few Guardianes de Salud to receive certification from the Honduran government. Our CHWs are tasked with treating and preventing common illnesses, and some of their responsibilities include first aid, supporting and caring for pregnancies and newborns, and responding to emergency situations. They are also responsible for following up with chronic patients to ensure proper administration of medications and treatments to avoid further complications. Additionally, CHWs provide support for brigades that are hosted in their area. At the completion of their training, CHWs are equipped with basic medical supplies and equipment provided by Global Brigades and its partners. The presence of these volunteers and their advocacy for health within their community contributes to the sustainability of health care supported by Global Brigades’ Medical Program and is one of the most impactful disease prevention strategies in rural communities across the globe.

 

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in San Martin 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 four classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each day of the brigade, an average of thirteen educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 556
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: FRAY LÁZARO, LOS HATILLOS, COYOL DE LINACA, SAN SANTOS DE LINACA, CERRO DEL TRAPICHE, LA PICOTA, PLANTELES DE SAN MARTIN, COPAL ARRIBA, LAS CAÑAS

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN SAN MARTIN

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Southern California Medical Brigade March 2012 29 University of Denver Medical Brigade March 2013 42
Mount Allison University Medical Brigade February 2014 53 Imperial College London Medical Brigade September 2014 20
Memorial University of Newfoundland Medical Brigade July 2015 40 University of Michigan Dearborn Medical Brigade February 2016 19
Louisiana State University Medical Brigade May 2018 49 University of Central Florida Dental Brigade May 2019 12
Dominican University Medical Brigade & Marshall Pharmacy School Medical Brigade May 2019 23 Essex High School Health TeleSquad December 2020 20

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.

768

Patient Consultations

584

Number of Extractions

711

Fillings Performed

64

Dental Education Workshop

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Community members in San Martin 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 four classrooms. Doctors are able to spend an average of ten minutes with each patient. Each day of the brigade, an average of thirteen educational charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 556
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: FRAY LÁZARO, LOS HATILLOS, COYOL DE LINACA, SAN SANTOS DE LINACA, CERRO DEL TRAPICHE, LA PICOTA, PLANTELES DE SAN MARTIN, COPAL ARRIBA, LAS CAÑAS

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN SAN MARTIN

Chapter Date # Of Volunteers Chapter Date # Of Volunteers
University of Southern California Medical Brigade March 2012 29 University of Denver Medical Brigade March 2013 42
Mount Allison University Medical Brigade February 2014 53 Imperial College London Medical Brigade September 2014 20
Memorial University of Newfoundland Medical Brigade July 2015 40 University of Michigan Dearborn Medical Brigade February 2016 19
Louisiana State University Medical Brigade May 2018 49 University of Central Florida Dental Brigade May 2019 12
Dominican University Medical Brigade & Marshall Pharmacy School Medical Brigade May 2019 23

Engineering

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in San Martin but has not yet begun with the Engineering Program. Now in the planning phase, a reliable source of clean water will be identified as soon as feasible, followed by the design of a water solution sufficient to meet the community’s needs for the next 20 years with projected population growth.

Water System : No
Type of System : N/A
Homes with Access to Water : N/A
Water Council : Yes

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in San Martin but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the Water Program will begin implementing a new water system or any necessary repairs to existing infrastructure following the Engineering Program’s evaluation and recommendations.

Water System : No
Type of System : N/A
Homes with Access to Water : N/A
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in San Martin but has not yet begun with the Business Program. Now in the planning phase, a community bank will be established as soon as feasible, followed by market studies and investment in an anchor business to provide additional capital.

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : Agriculture and Mining
Existing Microenterprises : N/A

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in San Martin 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 Latrines : 95%
Homes with Eco-Stoves : N/A
Homes with Water FIlters : 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