Team 1 - Hospital Visit

Today team one visited the public hospital in Esquintla, about a 45 minute drive from where we are staying at Common Hope in Antigua. Dr. Willy Mendez, Chief Medical Officer of the hospital, and Dr. Sofia Posadas gave us a brief introduction to the hospital’s history along with its recent progress and on-going challenges. They began the tour in the Emergency Department on the first floor where we saw babies, a four-year-old and a three-year-old boy. The most common reasons for admits to the hospital are head traumas and sepsis. Drs. Willy and Sofia explained how many folks pile on a motorcycle and don’t wear helmets. While many drivers ignore traffic laws as well.

When patients arrive at the hospital they are rated on a “Prism Scale” of 1-100 rating the severity of their illness. According to Drs. Willy and Sofia, many folks try to self-doctor or head to the pharmacy to cure their illnesses. Ultimately, they get sicker and due to waiting too long before seeking medical attention; and they become septic and very ill. The hospital has a high mortality rate due to the patients waiting too long to get care. Many are not safe on motorcycles not wearing helmets and having too many passengers resulting in accidents with head traumas. Today we witnessed a three-year-old boy with a cranial fracture sitting alone in a hospital bed. His mother was waiting outside the room and appeared to have a very similar fracture. We also saw a four-year-old girl with sepsis who looked miserable in her bed.

After the Emergency Department we headed to the NICU where Dr. Willy explained that they don’t always have enough equipment to help the babies. We saw a baby who weighed .08 kg. Many of us were shocked at the conditions of this hospital. They are making progress at improving their hospital and have received support from kind donors. They are working diligently to finish a new NICU and PICU which they hope to open in Mid-March. Our group toured both areas and witnessed the doctors’ hope for the future. Dr. Willy was extremely thankful for Allina Health’s support in their project. The Rotary Club also assists the hospital in their efforts.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the town of Antigua on our own. It was nice to relax after an emotionally difficult morning. The evening finished with an authentic Guatemala cooking class at El Frijol Feliz.