Good Afternoon from the Clinica Maxeña!!
Today is a busy day as we intitiate the week of the Opthamology Brigade; three Opthamologists from California and one Guatemalan Doctor provided by the association for Blindness in Guatemala, have begun to do exams and eye surgeries.
Sunday the Clinic workers had the opportunity to travel to the Mexican Border as part of Pastoral Health of the diocese here in Guatemala. These campaigns of solidarity are a very important part of the Social Justice themes of our Church here in Guatemala. Twenty five workers went in a bus that the Clinic contracted. In reality it was a joyful day away from the work of the clinic. The clinic band followed an ambulance in the march for Human Rights for Migrants along with other clinic workers, carrying our banner, on the border between Mexico and Guatemala. Several other parishes and groups working with AIDS were also part of the march and day of education.
AIDS continues a major concern with migrants and since our state is on the the route to the border it is one of the reasons that AIDS is a major issue in this area. The state of Suchitepequez is third in incidence of AIDS in the country. Pastoral Health of diocese provides training sessions for leaders in the CHURCH on AIDS PREVENTION and COMPASSION for patients with this disease. The Bishops Conference has a complete Program, TEACHING LOVE, that is available and provides sex education from Primary school through highschool. Our Clinic is initiating and coordinating these programs for youth in the area.
As our EYE CLINIC is in process our clinic is very busy. Regular consult by our clinic doctor is happening simultaneously and he has already seen five new cases of severe malnutrition in children under three years. The parents are interviewed to their home, nutrition, and economic status. They are enrolled in our supplemental Milk Program and in the monthly obligatory nutrition class.
THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!!
