Guatemala a developing country rich in culture, natural beauty, aromatic coffee and genuine people. It is a country in need of assistance in a broad range of areas. WUGI has decided to focus it's efforts on enhancing the healthcare at Roosevelt Hospital.
- Capital: Guatemala City
- population ~1.1 million
- Most populous country in Central America
- 15,428,834 people (2013 estimate
- Official Language: Spanish
- 21 other indigenous (Mayan) languages spoken
- The country, as a whole, faces many economic and societal hardships
- virtually void of a middle class
- over half the population lives in rural areas (more from the Rural Poverty Portal)
- over half of the population live in poverty (more data from The World Bank)
- ~75% of the indigenous people (living in rural areas) are impoverished
- child labor prevalent in poor areas
- High risk for major infectious diseases
- food and waterborn diseases include: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- dengue fever and malaria
- 16th Century: colonized by Spain
- 1821: Gained Independence from Spain
- 1898-1920: Dictatorship
- 1944-1996: 52-year Civil War
- conflict rooted in inequalities in economic and political life
- Guerrilla Warfare
- 1981-1983: Genocide in Guatemala
- Armed conflict ended with a peace treaty
Guatemala's healthcare system consists of three sectors: public, private non- profit, and private for-profit. Health coverage has been estimated to be low, with more than 40% of the population receiving no access to healthcare services. There is an estimated 0.9 physician and 1 hospital bed per 1,000 people.
Most of the population is located in rural villages and they do
not have access to even basic healthcare services. In very rural
populations the only physician-like person available is a shaman or midwife
with no formal medical training. It is usual that patients present with
symptoms to a hospital within a few hours from their home and after being
refractory to often the incorrect treatment for days they will then be sent to
Roosevelt Hospital (tertiary care).
Guatemala has universal healthcare; therefore, the government is in control of all funding to public hospitals. A minimal amount of money is placed into improving the public healthcare system. Currently, less than 2% GDP is allocated to healthcare (Source: US Embassy ñ Guatemala).
Ambulances are not readily available for the general population.
Often the family will bring the patient into the ER at the end stage of a
very severe illness (public or private hospital). Firefighters are
present with limited medical training who sometimes provide transportation for patients
to the ER. You may see a few ambulances driving through the city during
your visit, but not many. Washington
University engineering undergrads donated an ambulance to the hospital system
that is now stocked and used regularly.
Public Hospitals
Everyone has access to healthcare at public hospitals, however due
to limited resources, basic ultrasound and laboratory diagnostics; as well
first line medications are available. CT scanners and MRI machines
are available. It is not uncommon for a patient to get a diagnostic
laparotomy to diagnose an abdominal problem that is thought to potentially be
surgical because further imaging is not available. They are missing BASIC
medications (like meds to acutely treat hyperkalemia, beta blocking agents, etc).
Grants, private corporations, and pharmaceutical corporations play a huge
role in providing materials/services at the public hospitals with low funding
and this influences medicine. Physicians often give patients whatever
free samples they have, because the patient cannot afford any other
medications.
Private Hospitals
This sector provides services to patients with significant funds.
The physicians in this sector make significantly more money than at
public hospitals. Ideally one would think that the opportunity for the
better practice of medicine exists here, and this is certainly the case in many
circumstances; however, many of the physicians also own the equipment they are
using for procedures, and the physicians in Guatemala do not proportionally
make as much money as they do in the United States.
For more information please visit:
*****http://www.indexmundi.com/guatemala/
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/US_ThirdWorld/US_Guat.html;
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/guatemala/
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