Despite the pandemic, we continue our vital work with the Rosa Vera Fund. Our partners at Consejo de Salud Rural Andino are taking many precautions, while still providing our patients with the care they so desperately need.
In addition to home and virtual visits, patients are coming in for some essential therapies. Our goal is to raise funds to create a true telemedicine center for remote visits with specialists who are more than an hour away.
Usually at this time of year, our team of US-based doctors goes to Bolivia to meet with patients and their families. This year, that wasn’t possible, but our intrepid team assessed them nonetheless. Although in-person visits are always preferred, Dr. Darlene Melk and Dr. Lisa Hunt were able to have virtual visits with the parents and children to get updates on their histories and develop individual plans for the coming year.
Each family was brought to La Escuelita where they were weighed, measured and had vital signs taken. A doctor from the Consejo was in the room with each family giving details on recent labs and medication doses. Drs. Hunt and Melk could even “examine them” with their help.
Drs. Melk and Hunt reported that children are all doing well and have been healthy throughout the pandemic. The parents all expressed gratitude for the RVF and for allowing their children to receive virtual speech therapy and special education. Some are also receiving physical therapy at home.
After this experience, CSRA leader Nurse Mitma Claure Alcocer and the RVF physicians agreed that the RVF can admit four new patients to the Rosa Vera Fund in the coming weeks (January 2021). Great news!
Overall, I would say our virtual visits were a success. The process was efficient, we each had our own zoom session for the entire day with great connectivity, and it was accomplished in 6 hours.
– Dr. Darlene Melk, Rosa Vera Fund Chief Medical Officer
RVF patient Yoselín during a virtual medical exam
RVF patient José Daniel seems unperturbed by his virtual check up