Recent Reports

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2010 QUARTERLY REPORT

During the October-December quarter, our staff in San Clemente has stayed busy through the holidays treating just over 60 patients a day. This quarter we received a total of 3,751 patients, a 368 patient increase over last quarter, 534 of which were new patients. We continue to make favorable experiences creating co-responsibility in our patient population through small and affordable charges to the patients that are able to afford payment.

Demographics of patients treated:

Gender:
 Males: 2,399
 Females: 1,352  

Age:
 29…

In Peru, Christmas is fairly similar to celebrations held in the US and Europe, when many families get together, celebrate and exchange gifts. The well off families generaly eat turkey and eat Paneton (a cake/bread filled with fruits) and drink hot chocolate.

In the week preceding Christmas, it is also popular for communities, churches or charity organisations to organize “Chocolatadas” where people who make a Christmas gesture to poor children and families by offering them a cup of hot chocolate, food and perhaps small gifts.

Below are some of the fun photos of the Chocolotada that RMF…

Policlínico Peruano Americano: Third Quarter Progress Report and update on Mission PAMS/DRI Donation

During the time period of June through August our staff in San Clemente has been busy treating patients both at the clinic in San Clemente and through outreach clinics in the surrounding communities.

Our clinic continues to receive an average of 60 patients a day and treated a total of 3,383 during the third quarter, with 469 of these first time patients. We continue to make favorable experiences creating co-responsibility in our patient population through small and affordable charges to the patients that…

In August of 2009, Mr. Dan Smith, Director of Direct Relief International (DRI), contacted Real Medicine Foundation with the request to visit our clinic, the Policlínico Peruano Americano, in San Clemente, Peru. DRI soon followed up with the visit to the clinic and spent time visiting the facilities, researching our development, consulting our staff on their needs, and taking note of everything that they considered necessary for the clinic to function at a higher level. 

Shortly after this visit, DRI asked us to prepare to receive a container of a medical supply donation from DRI sometime in mid-2010.

The motto for Real Medicine Foundation is “Friends Helping Friends.” With full embodiment of these words, our operation in Peru is certainly the collaboration of many. Here is an update of several recent collaborations with RMF’s Policlínico Peruano Americano in San Clemente/Pisco, Peru.

Direct Relief International

Direct Relief International has made yet another sizeable donation for which we are truly grateful! A ship currently bound for Peru, will soon be delivering a container filled with $17,000 worth of equipment, medicine, and medical supplies. The shipment includes an EKG, additional exam tables, hospital beds, nebulizers,…

In March, RMF Country Director – Peru, Steve Henrichon, spent 5 days in Pisco visiting our Policlínico Peruano Americano. Much of his time was spent observing the clinic and determining which processes are most efficient as well as identifying which processes need improvement.

General Observations

The clinic has carved out a great reputation in the community. During my visit, 70 patients per day visited the clinic on average, and it’s not even winter yet! The clinic is receiving referrals from other physicians for specific services such as ultrasound and laboratory services.

…

Thus far, 2010 has been a busy year for Real Medicine Foundation Peru. At the Policlinico Peruano Americano in San Clemente, Pisco, patient volume remains consistent at approximately 60 patients per day. Respiratory infections still compose the largest portion of cases, comprising 36% of total cases. This number is the same percentage of respiratory cases from Jan-Feb 2009. Being in the southern hemisphere, it is summer in Peru right now. Come July and August (the Peruvian winter), we expect a spike in respiratory infections as high as 50% of total cases, as we have seen in years past. Below…

The Real Medicine Clinic in Peru continues to focus their services on education and prevention in the city of San Clemente, Peru. There are 30,000 people in the immediate district of San Clemente and 125,000 in the city of Pisco. By focusing on education and prevention initiatives, we hope the direct beneficiaries are able to spread the word to their families and community. In the month of November, the clinic staff provided various informational speeches on topics such as obesity and vaccines and provided health services to 97 patients.

This month, clinic staff began…

The RMF team in Pisco, Peru is busy serving an average of 68 patients a day! The most common cases in the month of July were Respiratory System Diseases, Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Muscular/Physical Disorders and Injuries, Urological Diseases, and Digestive System Diseases.

The health services provided include:

In addition to the daily health care services we provide to individual patients at Policlínico Peruano Americano, the staff has also focused on community education. They have offered four…

Winter has arrived in Pisco, Peru and the clinic team has been busy in the months of May and June. We have maintained an average of 60 patients per day, with the most common cases being respiratory (46%), parasitic (12%), physical/muscular (10%), digestive (7%), and skin disorders (6%). As the weather gets colder, we anticipate the percentage of respiratory ailments to increase. To treat patients with respiratory conditions, we make use of nebulizers, suction unit, oxygen tanks, as well as prescription pharmaceuticals & inhalers accessible from our in-house pharmacy.

In addition, we have rolled out an ultrasound…

The pace is picking up at the Policlínico Peruano Americano in San Clemente, Pisco, Peru. We have had to make several midstream adjustments to expand our service line and make our services accessible to as many Pesquenos as possible. Here is our most recent update:

Patient Flow: We are now seeing 90+ patients per day on average. We have extended the hours and the doctors have really been taken strides to make most efficient use of their time to handle so many patients. Morale amongst the team is high and everyone is excited about the clinic's success…

Its Christmas time and at the RMF clinic in Pisco Peru, "Policlínico Peruano Americano," we are preparing for our annual chocolatada where we give a soccer ball, panetón, and a glass of chocolate milk to all the children in the community. All of the gifts have been donated by local organizations and families in the community.

December 10th marked the 1-year anniversary of the Policlínico Peruano Americano. Special thanks to Dr David, Dr Guillermo, Nurse Glenda, Nurse Richard, Pharmacist Vicky, and our new Administrative Director, Magali. 10,000 patients have been seen at the clinic over the course of…

Spring time is approaching in Peru. The patient stream remains steady at about 30 patients per day and in the month of August we were able to enlist 242 new patients from the community. Females patient still outnumber the males, 2 to 1. In the local school of 3600 children which we sponsor, Nurse Maria Elisa was visited by 442 children. Maria Elisa also conducted many health workshops for the students and their parents.

Upwards of 50% of the cases in August were respiratory related. Due to the high volume of such cases, we…

We opened the doors to the Policlínico Peruano Americano in its permanent location on December 10, 2007. We had an inauguration that was attended by the residents from San Clemente, government officials, all of our friends who have helped us out along the way, hospitals administrators from hospitals in Lima, and a national news team that provided coverage of the story.

The permanent location is an earthquake safe house with several rooms for exams, a large waiting area, a kitchen area which will eventually be used for a lab. The whole house had been renovated and converted into…

The RMF Clinic in Peru officially opened for business on November 12, just one month since our small team arrived in Peru. The clinic is currently operating in a temporary capacity in the parish hall at the Catholic Church in San Clemente. While health services are being administered from the Church, we are busily searching the area for a permanent edifice to house the clinic. There are a few locations in the pipeline that have potential to serve as the permanent clinic. We are currently employing four people at the RMF clinic: physician, nurse, pharmacist, and night guard. The…

We watched a video last night. Since we were not here to experience the earthquake for ourselves, we will never know exactly what the people have been through. We can see the aftermath and listen to their stories but we will never know what it was like to stagger out of your house and trip over dead bodies in the street. ..or to lose a loved one and have to identify them out of a row of corpses in the town center… or to realize that you baby daughter is nowhere to be found and chances are that her body…

Good Friends – We have met many good friends along the way. Our work down here would not be possible without help from our friends.

Peru – Tent Clinic in the works – The decision has been made to start offering health services out of a tent while we scout the area for possible buildings suitable for our clinic. The tents are to be set up in the Plaza de Armas (town center) in front of ACER’s office. The medicine will be locked in the office and Dr. David will be able to see patients in…

Dust – Everything in Pisco is covered in dust. So much dust has been generated in Pisco due to the many collapsed buildings. Sometimes when walking around, you find yourself in a haze of dust where your entire surroundings appear cloudy. It's also not very comforting to know that you are breathing the dust. Many people wear a mask over their mouths to filter the dust. We have been told that many people are suffering from respiratory ailments brought on from the dust and I expect that many cases at our clinic will involve respiratory sicknesses.

Rene Castillo and I are working to open a free medical clinic in response to Peru’s 8.0 earthquake on August 15. Reports indicate that close to 1000 people have died, many more were injured, 40,000 families left homeless, and many thousands of buildings and infrastructure were destroyed in the Ica region. The epicenter was in Pisco and the surrounding towns of Ica, Canete, and Chincha were also affected.

We arrived into Lima on Friday night, October 12th. The majority of the weekend was spent meeting with our contacts in Lima and networking as much as possible. Most people…

The children's wards in Lima, Peru  

(L) Steve Henrichon, (R) Rene Castillo with children

Please help us to help!

You can help by donating here, and specifying 'Peru Earthquake Relief'' in the Note to Real Medicine.
 

A magnitude-8 earthquake struck just off the coast of central Peru on August 15, 2007. Reports from Peru count more than 1,000 deaths and at least 3,000 injured people in towns along Peru's central and southern coast. The majority of the damage and casualties occurred in Chincha Alta, Ica and Pisco. At least 80,000 people have suffered the quake's impact through the loss of loved ones or destroyed or damaged…

Project Objectives:

The clinic was opened 10 days per month to provide free healthcare services to the community of Yayawatta, Seenimodera in Tangalle, Sri Lanka, and its surrounding villages and communities of Palapotha, Kadurupokuna and Seenimodara.

For the Second Quarter of 2013, we saw an average of 20 patients per day with a total of 635 patients treated.

Project Objectives:

The clinic was opened 10 days per month to provide free healthcare services to the community of Yayawatta, Seenimodera in Tangalle, Sri Lanka, and its surrounding villages and communities of Palapotha, Kadurupokuna & Seenimodera.

For the First Quarter of 2013, we saw an average of 20 patients per day with a total of 621 patients treated.

Project Objectives:

The clinic was opened for 10 days each month and for the Fourth Quarter of 2012, we saw an average of 20 patients per day with a total of 627 patients treated.  

Background

Sri Lanka marks the birthplace of Real Medicine Foundation, the place where the first promise was made and the concept of “Friends Helping Friends Helping Friends” was born. Almost seven years after the tsunami of December 2004, rural villages in Southern Sri Lanka still face challenges of coping with psychological trauma, poverty, and infectious disease outbreaks.

After completing Real Medicine’s immediate tsunami relief efforts at the Mawella Camp Clinic, a second clinic was opened in Yayawatta in October 2006. Now in its fifth year, this clinic remains fully active and continues to…

Background

Sri Lanka marks the birthplace of Real Medicine Foundation, the place where the first promise was made and the concept of “Friends Helping Friends Helping Friends” was born. Almost seven years after the tsunami of December 2004, rural villages in Southern Sri Lanka still face challenges of coping with psychological trauma, poverty, and infectious disease outbreaks.

Photo: Families waiting patiently to be seen by Dr. Chamal

After completing Real Medicine’s immediate tsunami relief efforts at the Mawella Camp Clinic, a second clinic was opened in Yayawatta in October 2006. Now in…

Background

Sri Lanka marks the birthplace of Real Medicine Foundation, the place where the first promise was made and the concept of “Friends Helping Friends Helping Friends” was born. Almost seven years after the tsunami of December 2004, rural villages in Southern Sri Lanka still face challenges of coping with psychological trauma, poverty, and infectious disease outbreaks.

Photo: Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa attends to patients at the clinic

After completing Real Medicine’s immediate tsunami relief efforts at the Mawella Camp Clinic, a second clinic was opened in Yayawatta in October 2006. Now in…

Project Goal:

Sri Lanka marks the birthplace of Real Medicine Foundation, the place where the first promise was made and the concept of “Friends Helping Friends Helping Friends” was born. Almost seven years after the tsunami of December 2004, rural villages in Southern Sri Lanka still face challenges of coping with psychological trauma, poverty, and infectious disease outbreaks.

Photo: Community Volunteers gathering to help clean the clinic

After completing Real Medicine’s immediate tsunami relief efforts at the Mawella Camp Clinic, a second clinic was opened in Yayawatta in October 2006. Now in…

Project Goal: 
Provide medical care to Tsunami affected families and the less privileged to help build a healthy community

Project Objectives:

Summary of RMF-sponsored activities carried out during the reporting period under project objective:

The Real Medicine Yayawatta Clinic is a community based project that is sponsored by The Real Medicine Foundation and managed by Mrs. Stephney Minerva Fernando, Project Coordinator for RMF in Sri Lanka with guidance and service support by Dr.Chamal Sanjeewa, special Medical Consultant to RMF.

The Real Medicine Clinic has been providing medical assistance since October 2006. With no resources to hire private transportation and no access to public transport, the clinic provides the only locally based medical care within the community, easily accessible and within walking distance of most villages and…

The Real Medicine Yayawatta Clinic is a community based project that is sponsored by The Real Medicine Foundation and managed by Mrs. Stephney Minerva Fernando, Project Coordinator for RMF in Sri Lanka with guidance and service support by Dr.Chamal Sanjeewa, special Medical Consultant to RMF.

The Real Medicine Clinic has been providing medical assistance since Oct.2006. With no resources to hire private transportation and no access to public transport, the clinic provides the only locally based medical care within the community, easily accessible and within walking distance of most villages and beneficiaries.

The clinic operates…

The Real Medicine Yayawatta Clinic is a community based project that is sponsored by The Real Medicine Foundation and managed by Mrs. Stephney Minerva Fernando, Project Coordinator for RMF in Sri Lanka with guidance and service support by Dr.Chamal Sanjeewa, special Medical Consultant to RMF.

This Project serves 2 sets of beneficiaries, direct and indirect. Members of the Yayawatta fishing community are direct benificiaries, utilizing clinic services, while residents of Kadurupokuna, Palapotha & Seenimodara are indirect beneficiaries. Humanitarian activities are provided equally to all beneficiaries. Elderly men and women in these areas have the opportunity to access the…

Our clinic, community outreach and health education programs continue to provide vital support to the Yayawatta Village and surrounding areas. The Clinic’s beneficiaries include the population of Seenimodara, Kadurupokuna and Palapotha. Having this convenient access to free healthcare is especially important for young mothers, children, and the elderly. The diseases we see most frequently are upper and lower respiratory tract infections, viral fevers, gastrointestinal tract infections, heart disease, hypertensive disorders, skin diseases and different forms of arthritis.

During the months of March, April and May a total of 642 patients were evaluated and treated at our free clinic.
…

During the month of February, 196 patients were examined and treated by our Medical Consultant Dr.Chamal Sanjeewa at RMF’s clinic in Yayawatta. All communities in the area now have access to these free health care services. The elderly men and women are benefiting significantly with the convenient access to medical service. Many have been able to better understand their chronic health issues and receive the proper care to help alleviate them, resulting in less frequent visits.

During the month, in addition to general examinations, our clinic provided the following services:

As we enter our fourth year at the Yayawatta Village in the Tangalle region of Sri Lanka, we look forward to growing with our community and to extending our outreach.

While most other Tsunami Relief Projects have stopped, our clinic remains fully active and continues to grow. Initially established to serve one community of 400, the Real Medicine Clinic has grown to serve five villages and provides health care to over 4,000 persons.

Presently, the clinic serves the communities of Yayawatta, Kadurupokuna, Seenimodara, Moraketi Ara and Palapotha.

Over three years ago, before…

On November 7th, 2009 Real Medicine Foundation celebrated our third year providing free primary health care to the tsunami affected fishing communities of Tangalle.

The celebration provided us with the ideal opportunity to highlight our Maternal and Child Health outreach education programs. Joining RMF's Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa in the discussion was Tangalle's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Chamila. Together they provided a very simple yet comprehensive discussion on Maternal and Child Health to the forty-two women who participated. All of the mothers from the villages of Yayawatta, Kadurupokuna, Palapotha, Seenimodara & Moreketi-Ara,…

Our team at the Yayawatta Village Clinic was sponsored by Mr. Upamali Munaweera to conduct a special one day clinic at the Minhath Montessori Pre-School to benefit the families of the Dickwella community.

Real Medicine's efforts were profiled by two English speaking newspapers, one of which is listed below. We'd like to extend a special thanks to Mr. Upamali Munaweera for her generous support.

Please click here for the full story.

On July 4th, 2009 Real Medicine Foundation held a ceremony to honor the efforts of the Yayawatta community to help clean the clinic premises to prevent the spread of Dengue Fever. In response to the outbreak of Dengue Fever earlier this year that took the lives of four children and two elderly community members, the local government required mandatory cleaning of all private and public premises.

The Yayawatta community joined together to ensure that the community center, the location of the Real Medicine Primary Care Clinic, was thoroughly cleaned according to the government directive. Below is the report…

The Dengue Fever outbreak in late February, early March marked an active period for our clinic. In addition to treating many new cases over the past few months and engaging in public education about the ways to control the spread of disease, we also participated in a region wide clean up to minimize the breeding of mosquitoes. Measures were taken to advise parents to be vigilant around their homes and to report any illness so children could be referred to the base hospital for further tests.

With the exception of these challenges, the clinic operations remained stable over…

To expand our reach to the surrounding communities, our primary health care clinic staff conducts off-site clinics at local schools and community centers to provide poor rural children with free checks-ups, and medicines.

Our most recent off-site function was on February 2nd at Tangalle Children's Relay. Our team below was on hand to serve the children of the school, their parents and members of the community.

While the children were the main focus, news traveled fast throughout the community and the clinic was crowded with adults and seniors wishing to take advantage of the free medical…

Now entering it's third year, the Yayawatta Village Medical Clinic provided free health care services to 2483 community members from four villages over the course of 2008. Other highlights included:

This year, to support cultural integrity, we intend on offering Ayurvedic Medicines through our clinic…

On October 28th, 2008, Real Medicine Foundation celebrated it's two year anniversary at the Yayawatta Tsunami Relocation Village in Seenimodora.. In collaboration with International Service Partners, we celebrated the success of the clinic and presented the community members with a book on Home Health Care written by our clinic physician Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa which won the most prestigious Presidential Award for 2007. International Service Partners provided funding for the production of 100 copies that were donated to each of the families.

In attendance were Ms. Lexia Campbell of International Service Partners who presented books to the residence…

At the request of the Tangalle Police department, Real Medicine Foundation became a lead sponsor for the Tangalle, World Children's Day Celebration at Rajapaksa Field. Real Medicine provided funding for the certificates passed out to over 1000 children attending the event in recognition of their participation.

The first lady of Sri Lanka, Madame Shiranthie Rajapaksha, was in attendance and our Project Coordinator, Ms. Minerva Fernando and Accountant Nishantha Sankakelum were guests at the event as well.

Now in its third full year of operation, Real Medicine's Clinic at Yayawatta Tsunami Village in Seenimodara remains the only free medical clinic in the Hambantota district providing services to the poorest communities. Recently, our staff extended it's reach to another sector of the community in support of families working hard to make ends meet who often don't have time or money to take preventive measures to assure the health of their children.

Aware of our success in Seenimodora, the faculty of the Annapitiya Janasuwaya Singithie Pre-School requested a one day clinic to provide…

Fast approaching is the two-year anniversary for the Real Medicine Clinic in Yayawatta Tsunami Village in Seenimodora. Our staff continues to provide high impact care to its community members, care that now reaches out to three surrounding communities, including Polapotha, Kadurupakona and Moraketi Ara. On average, 200 patients per month visit the clinic where over 3000 impoverished people have weekly access to free medical services.

In addition to medical services our staff provides psychological support to those still suffering from post-traumatic stress and models a strong value system for personal accountability for health and establishing and respecting social…

Inland from the coast, situated quite far from convenient medical care sits the Seenimodora Yayawatta Village, a community of 95 families relocated with the support of International Service Partners. In 2006, Real Medicine Foundation elected to provide a free medical clinic to this very poor village community who lacked the means of transport to seek medical attention when it arose. Today the clinic services an additional four surrounding villages and over 250 people per month.

This medical clinic remains one of the only post tsunami projects in the district and now serves four…

Not even a year has passed since Myanmar was devastated by one of South East Asia's most severe cyclones in decade, a media event that came and went quickly yet an event that continues to challenge the lives of millions each day. While the public has forgotten those who lost loved ones, do not have access to food, fresh water or shelter, Real Medicine Foundation has not, and continues to provide critical support to hundreds of thousands of victims in the Irrawaddy Delta through our partners IDE, International Development Enterprises.

With Real Medicine’s support,…

IDE Newsletter, September 2008

NGO Yangon Recovery Report, June 26, 2008

The skies have turned anthracite grey this afternoon in Yangon – an ominous sign that heavy rains are on their way in a few minutes. Winds are pushing the temporary plastic windows up against the back of my chair as I write. On my desk are photographs taken earlier this week of families in the Irrawaddy Delta huddled under a fallen tree during a downpour. These are dark days in Myanmar. The magnitude of the crisis here is almost unimaginable. The latest realistic estimates are that over 100,000 people have died and about 2 million people are affected. It's…

From the afternoon of Friday May 2nd until Saturday May 3rd 2008, Tropical Cyclone Nargis slammed along the coast of Myanmar (Burma) devastating large parts of the low-lying delta region of the Irrawaddy River before ripping through Myanmar’s largest city Yangon (estimated population 6 million) for over ten hours. It cut a path 50 miles wide by 200 miles long, killing an estimated 200,000 people and thousands of animals. Almost 95 per cent of all homes in the rural areas have been destroyed. Entire villages were washed away by 12 foot waves and winds up to 192 miles per…

A very brief update since our last report at the end of June: for the farm recovery effort we provided a monsoon paddy package of rice seed, access to tillers, fertilizer, etc. to 58,383 families across the hardest hit areas of the delta. We were able to deliver 10,387 metric tons of rice seed directly to 1,197 villages before the planting deadline of 31 July. This was the largest small farm relief effort among all international NGOs, the UN system and the government. Families had absolutely no idea how they were going to eat or what…

Bogo City, Northern Cebu, Philippines

On Monday January 27th, Real Medicine Foundation received and distributed two pallets worth of World Health Organization (WHO) medical kits, generously donated by International Relief & Development (IRD), as part of our ongoing Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda relief efforts.  These WHO kits contain an assortment of emergency medicine and supplies (i.e. general and local anesthetics, analgesics, antipyretics, antibiotics, antifungals, anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic drugs, antiallergics and drugs used in anaphylaxis) that are very useful for clinics and hospitals, especially in the wake of an emergency.

Dr. Minerva Millor, Health District Officer Bogo…

On November 30, most of Bogo City still didn’t have electricity. Just 2 days prior, electricity was finally available again at Cebu Provincial Hospital-Bogo City (Severo Verallo Memorial District Hospital). It is hard to imagine having to perform an emergency medical procedure without electricity and access to potable water. In our follow up communications with Dr Minerva Millor and the other physicians and hospital administrators we met, this was a common challenge they had to work with: cell phone reception was spotty and internet connection not existent. In all towns and villages we passed, workers were working feverishly to…

Driving this past week from Cebu City to the regions in the north of Cebu Island devastated by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda and visiting: Bogo City, several barangays outside of Bogo City, such as Don Pedro Barangay and Nailon Barangay, then San Remigio, Medellin, crossing over to Bantayan: going to Bantayan and Santa Fe, and then crossing back over to Cebu Island, going to Daanbantayan – what struck me most was the horrific devastation, and the incredible friendliness and warmth of every single Filipino I met.

Photo: From left, Midwife Analiza Tumulak, Dr Minerva Millor, Dr Martina…

Following Typhoon Haiyan's center path of disaster and guided by the Romeo S. Jurani, Chair, Region XI, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) and Executive Director, PBSN Medical Mission, whose hometown in the Philippines was completely destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan, we are focusing our relief efforts on the support of Severo Verallo Memorial District Hospital in Bogo City.  This district hospital is a 50-bed hospital, serving Bogo City which has a population of 70,000 people, as well as the municipalities of Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Medellin, San Remegio, and Tabogon.  It is estimated that Bogo City was 95% destroyed by…

Photo: Aerial image showing devastation by typhoon Haiyan in Guiuan, Eastern Samar province, Central Philippines.  (AP Photo/Bullit/Marquez)

Poor communications, lack of power, and blocked transportation routes continue to make travel, information management and coordination difficult for the global humanitarian response to Typhoon Haiyan. Today's estimates from the Philippines' Department of Social Welfare and Development and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) suggest over 11.8 million Filipinos have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan, with 4,460 reported deaths, 921,212 displaced, and over 243,000 homes destroyed. As humanitarian response teams continue to access…

Background:

Real Medicine Foundation, supported by World Children’s Fund, has partnered with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Youth Service Corps and the Gure Gwassoro Ward Development Committee to support the previously abandoned Gure Model Health Center. Situated near the Nigeria/Benin Republic border, the clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government Area and its surrounding towns. Patients even cross the border from the Benin Republic to seek treatment at the clinic.  Nigeria has the 4th lowest survival rate of children under five out of 191 countries,…

Background:

Real Medicine Foundation, supported by World Children’s Fund, has partnered with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Youth Service Corps and the Gure Gwassoro Ward Development Committee to support the previously abandoned Gure Model Health Center. Situated near the Nigeria/Benin Republic border, the clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government Area and its surrounding towns. Patients even cross the border from the Benin Republic to seek treatment at the clinic.  Nigeria has the 4th lowest survival rate of children under five out of 191…

Background:

Real Medicine Foundation, supported by World Children’s Fund, has partnered with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Youth Service Corps and the Gure Gwassoro Ward Development Committee to support the previously abandoned Gure Model Health Center. Situated near the Nigeria/Benin Republic border, the clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government Area and its surrounding towns. Patients even cross the border from the Benin Republic to seek treatment at the clinic.  Nigeria has the 4th lowest survival rate of children under five out of 191…

Background:

Real Medicine Foundation, supported by World Children’s Fund, has partnered with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Youth Service Corps and the Gure Gwassoro Ward Development Committee to support the previously abandoned Gure Model Health Center. Situated near the Nigeria/Benin Republic border, the clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government Area and its surrounding towns. Patients even cross the border from the Benin Republic to seek treatment at the clinic.  Nigeria has the 4th lowest survival rate of children under five out…

Project Background:

Real Medicine Foundation, supported by World Children’s Fund, has partnered with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Youth Service Corps and the Gure Gwassoro Ward Development Committee to support the previously abandoned Gure Model Health Center. Situated near the Nigeria/Benin Republic border, the clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government Area and its surrounding towns. Patients even cross the border from the Benin Republic to seek treatment at the clinic.  Nigeria has the 4th lowest survival rate of children under five out of…

Project Background:

Real Medicine Foundation, supported by World Children’s Fund, has partnered with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Youth Service Corps and the Gure Gwassoro Ward Development Committee to support the previously abandoned Gure Model Health Center. Situated near the Nigeria/Benin Republic border, the clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government Area and its surrounding towns. Patients even cross the border from the Benin Republic to seek treatment at the clinic.  Nigeria has the 4th lowest survival rate of children under five out of…

Project Goal:

Real Medicine Foundation, supported by World Children’s Fund, has partnered with the Kwara State Ministry of Health, the Nigerian Youth Service Corps and the Gure Gwassoro Ward Development Committee to support the previously abandoned Gure Model Health Center. Situated near the Nigeria/Benin Republic border, the clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government Area and its surrounding towns. Patients even cross the border from the Benin Republic to seek treatment at the clinic.  Nigeria has the 4th lowest survival rate of children under five out of…

Project Goal:

Upgrade of the existing clinic and managing of the clinic according to RMF's global standards, improving hygiene, function and safety as well as standard of medical operations; restore community faith in clinic’s operations.

Photo: A group of newborn babies with their mothers. These babies have been delivered in our facility and are now waiting to receive routine immunization.

Project Objectives:  

Photo: Women attending maternal and child health presentation at the Gure Clinic

Project Goal:

Upgrade of the existing clinic and managing of the clinic according to RMF/WCF’s global standards, improving hygiene, function and safety as well as standard of medical operations; restore community faith in clinic’s operations.

Project Objectives:

Project Goal:

Upgrade of the existing clinic and managing of the clinic according to WCF/RMF’s global standards, improving hygiene, function and safety as well as standard of medical operations; restore community faith in clinic’s operations.

Project Objectives:

Summary of RMF-sponsored activities carried out during the reporting period under each project objective (note any changes from original plans):

Results and/or accomplishments achieved during this reporting period:

In recognition of his work in forging a partnership between Real Medicine and the Nigerian Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Dr. Ufuoma Ejughemre was awarded with the President's NYSC Honor Service award on December 6th in Abuja, Nigeria.

Dr. Ufuoma was posted to the clinic in Gure during his Nigerian Youth Service corp 1 year medical posting. All doctors in Nigeria participate in the NYSC's medical volunteering program for one year before there residency at a hospital. The majority of the clinics that NYSC manages are in very rural/underserved areas of Nigeria which are happy to…

RMF/WCF’s presence has continued to strengthen the faith in the Gure Clinic. Health care provision is being continuously improved; continued focus on the improvement of relationships between the community and all involved parties.  The Gure Model Health Care Clinic is the only access to healthcare for a population estimated at 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government area and surrounding towns.  Patients from The Republic of Benin continue to cross the border to Nigeria for treatment at the Gure Clinic. 

The new interior of the clinic provides a more hygienic setting for health care and has set an example…

Our site visit to the Gure Clinic in Nigeria was carried out successfully in late May and was a great chance to see the progress achieved of this pilot program for Nigeria.

After several introductory meetings with the Commissioner and Deputy of the Ministry of Health for Kwara State, and the Kwara State President of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) we set out to see the clinic. Setting off very early in the morning and driving for 5 hours from the nearest city of Ilorin, made one realize just how remote and underserved some of the communities…

The Gure Model Healthcare Clinic Initiative has continued to strengthen and improve its facilities and services over the past few months. The clinic is currently the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government area and surrounding towns. Patients from the Republic of Benin also continue to cross the border for treatment at the Gure Clinic.

Over the past three months the clinical upgrade has continued with the goal of improving the hygiene, function and safety of the existing clinic and restoring the community’s faith in its operations. The new interior of…

The Gure clinic, situated near the Nigerian/Benin Republic border, is the only access to healthcare for a population of 154,376 in the Baruteen Local Government area and surrounding towns. Access to healthcare in the region is so scarce, some from the Benin Republic even cross the border to come for treatment. Although the clinic activity varies depending on the weather and access to the health center, on average 80 patients are seen per day.

The goal of phase one of our clinic upgrade is to improve hygiene, function and safety of existing clinic and restore community…

Lagos State: While Coker/Aguda is still in need of a long-term health care center, RMF has chosen to implement its first Primary Health Care Project in Gure, Baruten, L.G.A. Kwara State, a rural area of extreme poverty where there is a dire need for more comprehensive health care. Central to RMF’s success is leveraging existing clinics, familiar with the local demands, yet requiring support to fully optimize its function and leverage its presence.

After a thorough review of the situation in Lagos State and surrounding areas, we determined that the Gure, Model Health Care Clinic was…

As Nigeria Project Director, I traveled to Nigeria on a fact finding trip from September 3rd – 15th. While there, the goal was to evaluate the feasibility of establishing RMF’s pilot health care clinic in the Aguda/Coker area of Lagos, in partnership with Afodise, a local NGO, and the Lagos State Government (see July guidelines for more details).

During the trip, we were able to connect with our contacts at Afodise and Lagos State Government to begin moving the project forward. We finalized the community in which we would establish the clinic, Coker Village in…

Overview

We are refocusing the Nigeria project and exploring establishing the first clinic at a new site, in the Aguda neighborhood in Lagos, Nigeria. The area is a good potential site because it is a densely populated, low income area with no access to primary health care. Also, the neighborhood is located within the city of Lagos, allowing for ease in logistical planning and execution for the free clinic.

The population to be served is approximately 100,000. Most of the residents are predominately poor and few would classify as low income earners. It is a high…

CHSS received certificate of incorporation from the CAC in August. Dr. Osin Sunday & Dr. Dotun Ogunyemi – two RMF volunteers visited Lagos in December. Dr. Sunday met with our team on ground, held discussions on RMF accounting system and took some pictures of the proposed site for the clinic. Dr. Ogunyemi discussed the framework of the project with our team members. He also met with the Lagos State Commissioner for Health. The Commissioner expressed interest in our project and seconded Dr. Jagun from the ministry to help us on the project and invited us to take part in…

We already scheduled a meeting with all of Makoko Community for Saturday September 30th, 2007.

It's "Hurrah" for Team Nigeria in April, as the Federal Ministry of Health supported our application for the registration of Complete Health Support Services (CHSS) – the representative of RMF in Nigeria. The approval letter is below.

We are also fortunate to have secured the services of a Project Coordinator, who will organize our efforts on this project on site. The Project Coordinator understands the local language, she is familiar with the area our project is sited and is passionate about working with the community. She will be responsible for reaching out to the community…

We met with the community leaders and introduced them to the proposal of RMF.

As expected, it was a great occasion for them which was evidenced in the warm reception accorded us. It was really really great! In the company of Mrs. Balogun we kept an earlier appointment and for about 3 hours had discussions and interactions after which we arrived with the following:

The makoko community is highly delighted about the news of RMF.

The community is in dire need of such projects for which RMF is known.

The community is ready to partner…

The project Restoration of the Free Clinic for Children in the Makoko Slum, Lagos, Nigeria is starting to gain momentum. We have attracted the interest of Dr. Nkem Ndionuka of Nigeria, Ms. Pei-hsuan Tsai, a nurse in Cambridge, MA, and Mrs. Bukky Balogun, a lawyer working with the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, who are also enthusiastic to see the project come alive. Dr. Nkem and Mrs. Bukky will be visiting the Makoko slum's elders, to introduce the plan and hope to receive their whole-hearted welcome to bring such a life saving service to the community's children. Dr. Nkem…

Background:

Makoko is a teeming shantytown in Lagos State. It has an estimated population of 50,000 people, the majority of who live in wooden huts built on stilts sunk into the dark waters of the Lagos lagoon. Makoko waterside inhabitants are mainly fishermen, who go out to fish in the night and stay indoors during the day, while the women take the fish to sell in the market or to dry. The maximum family income is about $50 dollars a month. The vast majority lives on less…

Neighborhood Endowment Fund (NEF) Neighborhood 01 sub Village Birit Lor, Village Birit

One of the Real Medicine Foundation’s sponsored Neighborhood Endowment Fund (NEF) villages is Birit Lor. Founded on July 15th 2008, the aim of the NEF is to stimulate economic recovery in the wake of an earthquake that wracked Klaten City and surrounding areas in June 2006. In this neighborhood, all members are women. Each member pays an initial membership fee of Rp.5000 ($US .50) and a monthly fee of $US ten cents. Officers in this NEF are: Mrs. Tatik as chairwoman, Mrs Budi as vice chairwoman,…

Nice to meet you, I am called Grandmother Harto. I am a 65 year old widow. I live in RT 03 Rw 02 Birit, Wedi, Klaten. In my RT are many still who cannot yet rebuild their houses. I have 5 children—3 daughters and 2 sons. My daughters–Jumilah lives in Nglegrengan, Gantiwarno, Suparmi in Brangkal. Wedi and one more named Lestari live in Karbolo, Bayat. My two sons—one, Sugeng lives in Sembung and the other, Kuat, lives close by me. On May 27th, 2006, the day of the Great Earthquake, my house and the house of…

Name: Mrs. Marsiyem (37 years old) Occupation: Bread seller Association: RT 08 RW 04

After tasting life in Jakarta as a factory laborer, Mrs. Marsiyem (Association RT 08 Birit Village) returned to her childhood neighborhood looking to fulfill her basic needs in a simpler way. After experiencing many years in the capital city, Mrs. Marsiyem wanted to come home. She decided to become a food seller in Birit Village, and she chose to sell bread.Mrs. Marsiyem has been in business for nearly ten months, although her food stand was already established. With a starting capital of 200.000…

Name: Mrs. Sudarmi (37 years old) Occupation: Traveling bakso (meatball) seller Association: RT 04 RW 03

Selling bakso ojek (baked meatballs) may not provide a very large income, yet Mrs. Sudarmi chooses to sell bakso ojek in order to help her husband provide for her family’s basic necessities. They are both citizens of RT 04 and have also become part of the committee in the local community savings group, though they joined after they had already begun selling bakso ojek. Because they want to have more children, they anticipate that their family costs will continue to increase.…

Name : Mrs. Suparni (30 years old) Occupation : Kindergarten teacher and sundries store owner Association: RT 01 RW 01 BIRIT Village

Mrs. Suparni dreams of one day owning a daycare, but since she is already 40 years old she thinks that God may have a different plan for her. Though her prayers for a daycare have not been answered, she is able to play with young children every day as a kindergarten teacher. In addition to staying busy with children, Mrs Suparni has run a small sundries shop since 2005. In the mornings she still teaches…

Name : Mrs. Darto (75 years old) Occupation : Kerupuk (chip) seller Association: RT 01 RW 01 BIRIT VILLAGE

Mrs. Darto may be 75 years old, but that does not lessen her spirit! Mrs. Darto lives alone so she likes to work to occupy her time. She has used the same old bicycle for more than ten years to sell her kerupuk (chips made of flour and flavored with fish or shrimp, served alongside or on top of many Indonesian dishes).She buys kerupuk from a big seller in for 40.000,00 rupiah. Every day she brings two sacks…

Name : Mr. Sukemi (44 years old) Occupation : Selling gravestones, engravings, and stone materials Association: RT 02 RW 01 BIRIT Village

Mr. Sukemi’s family business is selling kijing (gravestones), engravings, and raw stone material. The three segments of his business are interdependent. Mr. Sukemi’s wife, Mrs. Novi, helps him with his business, especially with bookkeeping as she has experience in accounting. Mrs. Novi is also an officer in the community savings group RT 02. The gravestone business that Mrs. Novi and Mr. Sukemi run was actually founded by Mr. Sukemi’s father. Mr. Sukemi manages the family…

Name : Mrs. Suparti (30 years old) Occupation : goat sate seller Association : RT 02 RW 01 BIRIT Village

The fragrant and appetizing aroma of specially prepared goat meat always surrounds a warung (small restaurant) located barely a hundred meters across the street from the Birit Village office. Wife and husband Mrs. Suparti and Mr. Pardi are both members of RT 02 and owners of this goat meat warung, which already has many loyal customers. Although uncooked meat is not on display in front of their warung, the delicious aroma of cooking meat attracts anyone fond…

Resource Grant: Real Medicine Foundation (RMF) Institution: KOMPIP Duration of the program : 4 months – May 18, 2007 to September 17, 2007 Geographic area: Birit Village, Wedi District, Central Java Report submission: October 22, 2007

1.1. Purpose Disaster Mitigation through Community Saving in Earthquake Area, Birit Village, District Wedi, Central Java Province.

1.2. Target of the second and third month Grant distribution. Start of loan and saving activities at neighborhoods.

1.3. Activity

I. Contextual Background

An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the richter scale hit Jogja and Central Java province in the early morning on May 27, 2006. The Local Government Disaster Mitigation Office in Satkorak Klaten reported that 1,045 victims died, 18,127 victims were injured, 98,552 houses were partially damaged, 62,979 houses were severly damaged and 29,988 houses were completely destructed. Satkorlak reported that the earthquake devastated public infrustructure as well as individual homes — 439 public buildings were partially damaged, 430 public buildings were severely damaged, and 76 public buildings were completely destructed. The earthquake impacted more than…

A magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck at 5:54 a.m. on May 27 near the ancient city of Yogyakarta, 250 miles east of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta. The massive earthquake has so far killed almost 5,700 people, seriously wounded more than 20,000 and left 200,000 homeless. Many of the homeless people remained near their damaged residences in makeshift shelters. Since the quake struck, there have been several hundred aftershocks. The earthquake's epicenter was close to the rumbling Mount Merapi volcano, and activity increased soon after the temblor.

You can help by donating here and specifying "Indonesia Earthquake Relief" in…

Background

We are very proud of all that we have accomplished together since our program started in 2008 and hope to one day return. For now, our lack of sufficient and consistent operational funding support or grants directed towards Armenia mean that we will be supporting only through the end of this month. If we are able at any point to find a source of funding that covers a minimum of 1 year of clinic/staff operations then we will be happy to restart this project. 

We want to wish Anna and our partners…

Background

Accessibility to free, quality health services for children and mothers in rural Armenia is extremely limited. It is estimated that 42.9% of the country still live below the poverty line, which has led to a drop in immunization by 42% in 2006.  The Shinuhayr Primary Healthcare Clinic is the only comprehensive clinic available in the region servicing its surrounding seven villages with a population of over 6,500.  There is a great need for perinatal, pediatric, cardiovascular, infectious disease, orthopedic, and geriatric services in this region.  Approximately 352 families fall under the ‘socially vulnerable’ category and benefit…

Background:

Accessibility to free, quality health services for children and mothers in rural Armenia is extremely limited. It is estimated that 42.9% of the country still live below the poverty line, which has led to a drop in immunization by 42% in 2006. The Shinuhayr Primary Healthcare Clinic is the only comprehensive clinic available in the region servicing its surrounding seven villages with a population of over 6,500. There is a great need for perinatal, pediatric, cardiovascular, infectious disease, orthopedic, and geriatric services in this region. Approximately 352 families fall under the ‘socially vulnerable’ category and benefit…

Background

Accessibility to free, quality health services for children and mothers in rural Armenia is extremely limited. It is estimated that 42.9% of the country still live below the poverty line, which has led to a drop in immunization by 42% in 2006.  The Shinuhayr Primary Healthcare Clinic is the only comprehensive clinic available in the region servicing its surrounding seven villages with a population of over 6,500.  There is a great need for perinatal, pediatric, cardiovascular, infectious disease, orthopedic, and geriatric services in this region.  Approximately 352 families fall under the ‘socially vulnerable’ category and benefit…

Project Goal:

The Shinuhayr Primary Healthcare Clinic is the only comprehensive clinic available in the region servicing its surrounding seven villages with a population of over 6,809.  There is a great need for perinatal, pediatric, cardiovascular, infectious disease, orthopedic, and geriatric services in this region.  Approximately 352 families fall under the ‘socially vulnerable’ category and benefit from the services of RMF’s project. In addition, 256 disabled persons, 524 children ages 0-7 years and 1,382 school children ages 8-17 years, and 52 single mothers benefit from improved healthcare services.

Photo: Patients and family members…

Over the past two years, RMF Armenia has been gaining appeal and trust within the eight communities it serves.  For most members of these communities, an episode of illness is a severe financial burden on an entire family.  Medication is either difficult to obtain or often unaffordable when available.  And, that’s for acute illnesses.  Many people diagnosed with chronic yet manageable illnesses, which is generally on the rise in Armenia, forgo treatment, because it is simply too expensive.  For community members facing such circumstances, the RMF project is a godsend. 

Armenians are accustomed to paying for healthcare services either…

Project Goal:  Increase access to healthcare and continuum of care in Shinuhayr and its surrounding seven villages by providing comprehensive healthcare services, maternal-child health, childhood vaccinations, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, ambulance services and community outreach and education to a population of 6,809.  Our long-term goal is to rebuild the Shinuhayr primary care clinic back into a fully functioning hospital and add a community center.

 Project Objectives:  • Provide free medications to all in need, especially to chronically ill patients; • Provide prenatal education and vitamins to expectant mothers; • Educate parents about the importance…

Project Goal: To increase access and quality of healthcare in Shinuhayr and its surrounding seven villages by providing comprehensive healthcare services, child-maternal health, childhood vaccinations, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, ambulance services, community outreach and education to a population of 6,809.

Project Objectives: • To provide free medications to all in need, especially to chronically ill patients. • To provide prenatal education and vitamins to expectant mothers. • To educate parents about the importance of vaccinations and to continue providing free childhood vaccinations. • To assess children’s current health status (via registration logs). • To promote the RMF ambulance…

RMF Armenia continues strong with its first quarter 2011 implementation. Project objectives are to continue distribution of medicines and medical supplies to Shinuhayr, Khot, Halidzor, Tatev, Svarants, Tandzatap, Kashuni, Harzhis villages in Syunik Marz, examine common illnesses and bring awareness to these communities about the importance of routine doctor visits and medication adherence, and to vaccinate children and continue to educate parents about the importance of vaccinations as well as prenatal care.

The news about RMF’s work in these communities is spreading quickly via word of mouth and many have been more aware of the great benefits the…

A large number of medicines and medical supplies were distributed in the month of April. Aside from those individuals involved in the project and those who receive their monthly medications through RMF, there was also a larger influx of patients who came to RMF to be treated for other acute illnesses, such as respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, asthma, and tonsillitis. The diseases that the majority of the population in the Syunik region suffers from remain to be cardiovascular ailments, hypertensive and rheumatic disorders.

In April 2011, 25 personal house calls were made. The local physician, using the RMF…

Real Medicine Foundation Team Armenia’s Director Nairy Ghazourian and Project Coordinator Intern Arax Eleyjian decided to end the year with a high note. From the previous year RMF-Armenia had a very successful online fundraiser, therefore another one was quickly planned on www.playtogive.com. The goal was to raise $5,000 by midnight on December 31st, 2010. The money to be raised was going to feed the 159 indigent families in the village of Shinuhayr. Both team members quickly started to email family, friends, coworkers, etc. to pass the word along and raise money before entering the New Year.

Due…

2010 proved to be a very successful year for Real Medicine Foundation’s work in Shinuhyar, Armenia and its surrounding 7 villages, which RMF funds at 100%. We are grateful to the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) our partner organization on the ground for their utmost support in the implementation process of our projects. Thank you to Anna Mnatzakanyan from ARS (Yerevan) and Stella Arzumanjan, RMF project coordinator on the ground from ARS (Goris). Thanks to ALL our readers and supporters for your continued donations to sustain our programs in Shinuhayr. Without your support this would be impossible to attain.

…

The project goals are to continue to provide health care to those disadvantaged in the Shinuhayr, Khot, Halidzor, Harjis, Tatev, Svarants, Tandzatap, Bardzravan communities. The goal still remains to raise awareness to locals to seek medical help at the initial sight of an illness and to continue routine doctor visits throughout the year. In the month of November, the RMF team also took the time to educate patients who suffer from hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The RMF team also wants parents to know the importance of getting their children vaccinated in a timely manner.

In the month…

Throughout the past four months (July through October) Real Medicine Foundation continued the distribution of medicines to vulnerable and socially disadvantaged individuals and on October 16th, 2010 purchased the long-awaited ambulance to service our project population. This was made possible with the generous donations from our June 12th, 2009 event “A Journey to Armenia” and the Playtogive online charity event that was implemented in December of 2009. Thank you for all those who participated and contributed!

Below are photographs of the ambulance RMF made possible to purchase with the help of the ARS team.