Family and Friends,
This past week our dental health promotor, Manuel, traveled to Chiapas, Mexico, with 30 other Guatemalan promotors with the Association of Health Promotors in Guatemala, ASECSA. Dental care for the Poor is a luxury. The Poor do not approach a clinic until the dental pain is an issue for them; usually thier teeth are decayed, missing, or infected. Dental care by a professional dentist and materials for dental prophylaxis are not in the budget of the Clinica Maxeña.
Manuel, our Dental health Promotor is able to do extractions, and clean teeth. As mentioned, unfortunately when patients arrive, extraction is the only remedy. If a patient comes with a tooth that can be saved Manuel instructs them to go to a dentist in the next community. Manuel will go again in March for four days for another workshop; this will happen in Guatemala. This last workshop was mostly theory and in March they will receive also practice in dental care.
The Association of Health Promotors is ASECSA. This organization is in existence more than thrity years and the Clinica Maxeña was one of five founding Health Programs. More than sixty health programs in the rural area are now members of this organization; all would have Mayan Indian health promotors serving in their clinics and preventive programs. Many of our workers have received health education, especially in nutrition and agriculture and Medicinal Plants. A Chemical Biologist from this association oversees our Medicinal Plant clinic.
This association will also give accompaniement and technical advice and some seeds for a sustainable agricultural project we have begun with our workers. The dream is that this project will grow and help bring some solution to Hunger! Thank you for your interest and donations to those we serve.
You can send your donation on line at:
www.diocesehelena.org
Note that it is for the Clinica Maxeña.
Thank YOU!!
Love Sheila
Attatched a picture of Manuel, our Dental Health Promotor performing an extraction of a tooth in our clinic.
