NEWS RELEASE
International Surgical Health Initiative Prepares for
First Mission on October 22–31
(New Jersey – July 22, 2009) – On October 22, International Surgical Health Initiative (ISHI), a newly founded non-profit organization that provides critical surgical care to underrepresented communities around the world, will collaborate with Partners for Surgery (PFS) for its inaugural mission in the central Guatemalan town of San Juan Sacatepéquez.
Serving 4 rural communities surrounding San Juan Sacatepéquez, ISHI will provide roughly 65 surgeries to patients that have been pre-selected by PFS during a preliminary triage tour conducted on August 23–29 in the villages surrounding San Juan Sacatepéquez. After evaluating approximately 500 candidates, PFS will identify surgical candidates from these locations for general surgery (mostly hernias and tumors), gynecological surgery (mostly prolapsed uterus), and reconstructive surgery (cleft lip & palate, club foot, syndactyly, polydactyly).
Surgeries will take place at Centro de Salud Barbara (CSB), a clinic that was built 4 years ago by a Guatemalan doctor and his family. The clinic is equipped with two ORs, a primary care center, a lab, a pharmacy, and an X-ray room. The fully equipped clinic, a rarity in central Guatemala, is currently staffed by local Guatemalan nurses and medical students from the Marroquin Medical School in Guatemala City.
During the one-week mission, PFS will also screen approximately 400 women for pre-cancer cervical lesions and treat low-grade cervical dysplasia with cryotherapy, and patients will also receive medical attention for infections and skin conditions, if appropriate.
In an effort to provide long-term care to the community of San Juan Sacatepéquez and to create a sustainable relationship with PFS and patients alike, ISHI hopes that this will be the beginning of a an annual trip to the region of central Guatemala.
About ISHI
International Surgical Health Initiative (ISHI) is dedicated to improving the health of underserved people around the world by providing much-needed surgical care; working toward the prevention and treatment of the illnesses that bring about the need for surgery; collaborating with other like-minded organizations; building lasting relationships with patients, families, and communities; and empowering local medical professionals to be self-sustained through education and training.
ISHI is made up of surgeons, doctors, nurses, administrators, artists, and others who work together under the guiding principle of providing unconditional surgical care to those threatened by surgical disease around the world. On this first mission, ISHI will bring a team of 20 volunteers to Guatemala.
About Partners for Surgery
Partners for Surgery (PFS), founded in 2001, serves as a bridge between patients in need of surgical care in remote communities of Guatemala. While PFS does not perform surgeries themselves, they organize surgical missions in partnership with self-contained surgical teams such as ISHI. Over the past 8 years, PFS has provided medical care and education to more than 25,000 Guatemalans and facilitated surgery for over 5,000 Guatemalans. In addition to coordinating surgical missions, PFS strives to educate and empower rural Guatemalans to initiate and advocate for vital health care services on their own behalf.
About San Juan Sacatepéquez
San Juan Sacatepéquez, inhabited by Cakchiquel-speaking Maya, is located in the western highlands of Guatemala, about an hour and a half northeast of Antigua and an hour north of Guatemala City. The area is know for its flower production, and on most mornings, huge mounds of blooms can be seen in the bustling markets of the town’s central square. The inhabitants of San Juan Sacatepéquez are predominantly farmers, living in rural areas outside the of the town’s center, most of them in extreme poverty and without access to medical care.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATON CONTACT:
Kimberly Riback, Board Secretary/Public Relations
E-mail: kim.riback@ishiglobal.org