Baby Lizbeth was just 8 days old when a scorpion stung her. Normally, a scorpion sting hurts and can cause some dizziness, but Lizbeth was so small that the sting site immediately swelled and her heart started racing. Her little body was covered in sweat, and she started having difficulty breathing. Fortunately, the Chacraseca Clinic was open.
Dr. Daisy responded immediately, starting an IV in her arm and positioning her to help her breath better. After emergency treatment, Dr. Daisy arranged for Lizbeth to be taken to the Léon Hospital. Because there was a clinic, a doctor, medications, and a community “ambulance” available, little Lizbeth is fine.
About the Clinic
Without the Chacraseca Clinic – managed by MINSA (Ministry of Health) and community members and supported by JustHope and another nonprofit – access to affordable healthcare would be impossible for most of the community. Government- funded medical professionals work in the clinic, with two general doctors and one dentist treating patients.
The Clinic serves an average of 2,000 people per month who come seeking immediate medical care or to access one of the clinic's health programs in prenatal care, vaccines, and chronic disease management. As a part of Nicaragua's national health care system, this "public" clinic provides all services and medications at no cost. JustHope supports some of the most urgent and important needs of the Clinic, including donations of medicines and supplies to help supplement any shortfalls in inventory that MINSA provides.
JustHope and partners have also been instrumental in remodeling and stocking the Clinic to keep it functioning properly. Back in 2012, we built a laboratory onto the clinic and purchased equipment for the diagnosis of some problems on-site. Partnering with MINSA, we secured a lab tech to work in the laboratory. Visiting groups also put in oscillating fans, replaced old, inoperable sinks in the exam rooms, and painted murals on the clinic walls.
In 2017, in conjunction with FNE, ACOPADES, the Congregational Church of New Canaan and private donors, JustHope remodeled the Clinic and repaired structural damage to improve the safety and durability of the building. The Clinic got a new roof and ceiling, new tile floor, new windows, new layout, new bathrooms, new electric and plumbing!
Medical Interns and Brigades
Through a partnership with DOCare, JustHope facilitates and oversees the placement of U.S. medical residents in the clinic. They spend between two and four weeks residing in Chacraseca, shadowing local doctors, and attending to patients. JustHope provides translators where needed.
JustHope-sponsored medical brigades work in cooperation with the clinic and its staff to address unmet needs of Nicaraguans in the Léon area.
Read about the experience of a Medical Brigade
