Between December 10th and 15th, 2020, the construction of a new health center was completed in the community of San Salvador, in the Muisne canton of Esmeraldas. Members of the Chachi indigenous nationality reside in this village, located on the border of the Mache Chindul Ecological Reserve. The objective is to provide adequate health infrastructure to this population.
San Salvador is home to 200 families who consider the Chachi ancestral territory their home. This territory spans 9,820 hectares and is located in the province of Esmeraldas.
The new health center covers an area of 73 m2 and is divided into four consulting rooms: gynecology and obstetrics; general medicine and dentistry. It has two bathrooms and a waiting room. The construction is made of wood and bamboo with Gypsum moisture-resistant coating. The roof has thermal insulation with glass wool.
With the operation of this center, doctors will be able to attend to patients with privacy and in a better manner. The old Type A health center did not have the necessary facilities to provide quality care. The investment was approximately USD 8,000.
Manuel Pallares, president of the Raíz Ecuador Foundation – CAEMBA, along with Cristina Latorre, CAEMBA’s director, expressed their satisfaction in delivering this new center, which will benefit the entire community. They also expressed their gratitude to those who made this construction possible: the Por Todos trust; the Association of Ecuadorian Employees in the Inter-American Development Bank (BID); the Small Grants Program (PPD) of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); Silvia Benítez; Andrea Thome; Augusta Parra; and Miguel Falconí.
On the other hand, the doctors who work in this community, such as rural doctor Jocelyn Córdova and rural dentist Héctor Prado, expressed their gratitude to the Raíz Foundation/CAEMBA for the delivery of the new center. «We thank all the donors for this health center they are delivering to us. Now we will be able to provide well-deserved care to patients and neighboring communities,» said Córdova.
They both indicated that the main needs and public health problems in this area are the lack of drinking water, which in turn leads to gastrointestinal problems. They also pointed out the lack of medical-patient privacy necessary to provide good care. Likewise, they noted that the lack of good access roads hinders the transfer of patients in emergencies.
José Tapuyo, governor of the Chachi nationality of the San Salvador community, stated that he is very committed upon seeing such a significant project in his community. «I thank the Raíz Ecuador Foundation for undertaking such a project. I commit myself to monitor if there are any problems with the health center and to solve them,» Tapuyo emphasized. He also mentioned that doctors will have the necessary equipment and medical supplies to properly attend to those in need.
