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Surgery at Proyecto Salud y Paz Clinic, CamanchajThe rural community of Camanchaj is in the highlands about 2½ hours north west of Antigua and half an hour south of Chichicastenango. The Proyecto Salud y Paz clinic is used primarily for medical and dental clinics but it also has two small ORs.There are no wards per se but one large area for patients which works for pre-op, recovery, post-op, equipment repair, computers, pharmacy, staff rest space etc. Patients stay in cots in this area for anything from a few hours to a night or two until they no longer need full time nursing care. Then they are moved to the annex where they stay a few more days until the surgeons are happy for them to go home. |
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Facilities at the clinic are adequate but basic. Team members need to be willing to work under very different conditions than those found at home and be flexible and willing to take on any tasks that come their way. While working at Camanchaj we stay in Chichicastenango, half an hour from the clinic. This is a small rural town known for its huge biweekly market and its mixture of Catholic/Mayan religious practices. The hotel is Spanish colonial in style and has an outdoor pool. Rooms have en suite bathrooms with hot showers. We have breakfast and dinner at the hotel, lunch at the clinic. On Sunday morning we try to arrange free time so that team members can enjoy the market. While in Antigua, at the start and end of the trip, there is time to explore this beautiful colonial city. |
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