LIGA’S CLINIC EL CARRIZO
Fall-Winter 2006
Congratulations to the heroes of both the October and the November
clinics! October clinic volunteers found that rats had entered and eaten
much of our pharmacy (they especially liked Effexor and Glucophage).
The clinic workers literally dug in and cleaned up inches deep of rat
excrement and restored the pharmacy. Because of the hurricanes, our
construction trips had to be cancelled … so in November we worked
amidst construction, seeing over 300 patients, with chiropractic alone
treating 90 people.
WHO WE ARE
“it was amazing.
I saw diseases and
conditions I would
never see in a lifetime in the U.S.”
El Carrizo is a regional, community-based clinic 35km west of El
Fuerte, with a catchment area
from Sonora to Los Mochis. On
First time volunteer
the first weekend of every month
from October to June, a small
band of dedicated aviators and volunteers wing west
from El Fuerte over the mountain passes to this small
village on the Sea of Cortez and return that evening.
Before they return, they will have done home care,
conducted health education, treated as many as 300 people including up
to 50 dental patients ...oh, and built an addition to the clinic.
WHAT WE DO
Our team consists of physicians, dentists, a
psychologist, medical students, pilots, an
acupuncturist, nurses, and a chiropractor.
We treat the chronic muscle and joint problems of our hard-working population, in
addition to high rates of cardiovascular
disease, diabetes and its complications,
dental caries and infections, skin disorders
from pesticides and chemicals, drugresistant tuberculosis, generalized fungal disorders, ulcerated venous stases,
various prolapses; we see many congenital deformities and chronically untreated
disorders.
El Carrizo is installing a minor surgical suite in Spring 2007, and patients requiring major surgery are referred to our sister clinics in San Blas and El Fuerte.
EL CARRIZO
OUTREACH
Home Care began in January 2005,
and the team has visited as many
as 15 patients per clinic. The team
HEALTH EDUCATION
Health Education distributes Spanish
educational literature and videos, and
teaches health seminars, accompanied by teaching aids, handouts and
small giveaways to help support the
message. This is our current agenda:
Hand washing
Preventing infections
Brushing Teeth
Nutrition
Raising healthy children
Protecting eyes and skin
Back care
Diabetes Cardiovascular Disorders
High blood pressure
of Translator, Physician or Nurse
Practitioner/PA, and RN delivers
medications, debrides wounds,
gives palliative care, does minor
surgeries, and teaches illness prevention.
We are developing relationships
with the local volunteers, and each
clinic usually draws at least one
local dentist and physician. Each
month we supply the local Cruz
Roja with about 75 pairs of eyeglasses that are dispensed by the
local optician.
OUR PILOTS
Many pilots have volunteered for our Saturday morning/afternoon flights, and flying virtually every clinic
are Bill Allen, Frank Himmerich, Ramon Rebel and Don
McBride. El Carrizo airport is a 2,600 foot dirt strip
(see left) near the Sea of Cortez, used frequently by
crop-dusters and thus maintained fairly well (see
right). The flight is a
brief 10-15 minutes
over verdant farming
areas and hills. It is
very cool.
El Carrizo ‘International’
Airport
The Addition
The clinic was in poor repair. Very ill people
had to wait hours under the hot sun, and were
then seen in a hot, crowded and noisy clinic.
With private donated funds, an addition was
built for a separate dental office and pharmacy. A large covered patio (seen in
progress, below) will be completed by December 2006. Two dental operatories
were donated, and began functioning October, 2006.
Our construction team of
Tom Carson, David Barnes,
Victor Martinez, Bill Allen
and
Yonas
Meharena
installed pharmacy shelves,
installed exterior suction,
lights, bathroom fixtures.
Below, Bill Allen cleans up
after painting a room full of
new shelves built by Tom
and Victor (left, below). All
our meds will be arranged in
pull-out bins, with a new
dispensing area.
Tom Carson and Victor Martinez,
new volunteers and part of our
construction team, still smiling.
DENTAL WISH LIST
Do you know anyone who could
help us find these materials?
Amalgam set ups including spoons,
condensers, carriers, carvers, and
amalgam wells
Composite set ups, including acid
etch, polishing discs and cups,
finishing burs, bonding agents.
New Dental Suite
In November, dentist Steve Cavaganolo
and assistant Dee Ivy, dentist Robert
Lang and local dentist Cinthya Burgos
battled the elements, treated scores of
patients with intermittent lights and
suction, broken and dysfunctional
handpieces, noise, interference, and
crowding. We’re working on it :-)
Pictured above was how it was, with
our local dentist assisted by Ramon
Rebel. Below, Robert Lang is seeing
doing a great job with our new equipment. Soon, we will have an X-Ray
available, better seating, shelving and
an autoclave.
We hope we will be able to save more
teeth and appearances even more with
the addition of a dental hygienist. Help
us look?
Round burs, for high and low speed
drills. Low speed contra angles.
Gun for Fugi IX cement
IRM or ZOE B&T or other material
Articulating paper
Patient bibs
Cold sterilization solution.
Forceps, elevators, curettes
Needle holders
Slow speed handpiece
Acrylics & Reline Materials
Alloys
Anesthetics
Cements
Core Material
Mixing Bowls
Pins & Posts
Retraction Materials
Rubber Dam
Sutures & Needles
Toothbrushes, floss, small pastes
A canister air filter
Daylight loader
High-speed film packs
film mounts, patient bibs.
Steam autoclave
Ultrasonic cleaner
Cidex (gluteraldehyde)
back-up compressor – 1 hp 2 gal
NOVEMBER VOLUNTEERS
Hugo Ortega will be installing our new EMR software but for this trip, he translated all day for
not one but three dentists in both directions with a tirelessly positive attitude. Cece Abbate RN
coordinated the clinical staff, and single-handedly assessed hundreds of patients. She organized
and supervised the volunteer staff and had to work with a chaotic work environment. She brings
a high degree of clinical excellence to our clinic. Our first-time physician Jim Warren and his
daughter Kristie Galyon, a second year med-student, fit right in and were a warm and energetic
addition to our team. Dolly Rosell was both interpreter and worked the pharmacy with minimal
assistance, cleaning up rat poo, filling everything quickly efficiently and with great humour. Med
Student III Sophia Ghebremicael adapted right away to a constantly shifting environment, showing amazing skill working with groups and families. Even though it was PA Elizabeth Cannon’s
first trip, she got the spirit right away. Elizabeth works at an inner-city LA clinic and brought
down her experience and altruistic heart. Don McBride flew us over and back, traveled around El
to find food and drink, and worked as an interpreter at intake. Our chiropractor Kara Nania treated over 90 patients with a constantly positive attitude. Hank Perea was one of our main interpreters and assisted wherever he could, working with the volunteers as well as our clinical staff.
Pilot, assistant clinic coordinator and super guy Bill Allen took over our painting duties and finished off all our pharmacy shelves and helped out in so many other areas. Bill was also a pilot on
Friday’s extra trip. Our construction team accomplished miracles. EMT and licensed contractor
David Barnes quickly worked with impossible electrical wiring and got our new lights working,
built a long drain for our dental office, helped with carpentry and installed all our bathroom
equipment. David worked at our extra trip on Friday. It was Victor Martinez’and licensed contractor Tom Carson’s very first Liga experience but they jumped in head first. Both Victor and
Tom worked at our extra trip on Friday. They cut and fit all our pharmacy shelves against impossible deadlines. They never stopped, and put their saws down only when forced at the very end
of the day. It could not have been done without them. Yonas Meharena worked at many jobs, and
helped everywhere with a constant upbeat attitude. He worked in construction, painting,
installing the drain, arranging the supplies and drugs, and worked with the shelving. Yonas
worked at our extra trip on Friday. Pilot Sean Flynn not only flew staff between El Fuerte and El
Carrizo, he worked as an interpreter, helped out with construction and worked in pharmacy. For
the flight home, at his own considerable expense, he flew to an airport far from his own to help
an injured volunteer. Ilan Brand was one of our pilots, flying to El Carrizo for the first time. For
part of the day he was busy assembling pharmacy boxes and even got the local kids on teams
working. Pilots Geoff Klotz and Ramon Rebel both flew back and forth transporting our staff.
Ramon flew an ill child for a surgical consult to El Fuerte Clinic. He made sure they reached the
correct destination and supervised the stay there, and then returned them safely at the end of the
day.
Our deep gratitude is extended to our dedicated
El Carrizo volunteers and supporters
We welcome donations of time, equipment,
and funds to support the people of Sinaloa
Our Urgent Needs are
4WD SUV or van
2 Tablet PCs
Broadband Internet Access
Daylight film developer
Steam autoclave
elcarrizoclinic@ligainternational.org