Potosí, Bolivia: “One of the most important things you have sent us”
Hospital Daniel Bracamonte is in Potosí, Bolivia. When Global Links visited earlier this year, the hospital director, Dr. Luis Quispe, was waiting in his office, an ambu in his hands. “This is one of the most important things you have sent us.”
As he spoke, an infant in the ICU was being kept alive with an ambu – a simple, mechanical breathing assist device - from Global Links. The hospital’s ventilator had broken down, and there was no other way to keep that baby alive.
Last year, this hospital had asked Global Links for help in equipping their ICU and their dialysis unit, and Global Links fulfilled their request for support with ICU beds, supplies, furnishings, sutures, and dialysis chairs such as the one shown here.
For this project, Global Links worked with the government of the department of Potosí in addition to the hospital administration, to ensure that everything in the shipment was exactly what was needed.
Bolivia is rich in natural resources and indigenous traditions, but it is also one of the poorest countries in South America. Challenging terrain and heavy rains make travel – and access to healthcare -- difficult.
The government is trying to improve health across the country by building health centers far from the cities so that people can have healthcare close to home. Global Links is working with them to make the centers fully functional.
There is neither time nor money for random, poorly planned donations – everything must be useful and appropriate, such as this ICU bed. Having the right type of bed is very important for fragile ICU patients.
It is gratifying to see Global Links donations in use – in this patient room, for example. This year, Potosí is again investing in another project with Global Links – testament to their satisfaction with this collaboration.
