Doctors arrive in Puerto Rico to volunteer in rural areas
SAN JUAN – Dozens of volunteer doctors arrived this week in Puerto Rico to offer health services to vulnerable and bedridden patients in the municipalities of Comerío, Naranjito, Barranquitas, Morovis and Corozal. The effort is part of an initiative from a New York-based nonprofit with some 2,000 doctors.
The arrival of the medical practitioners was made possible thanks to an executive order signed by Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, which allows for doctors without a Puerto Rico license to “offer medical services to disadvantaged people in light of the emergency,” as explained by Public Affairs Secretary Ramón Rosario. The official said Executive Order 2017-58 “granted the immunity or protection against legal actions that doctors employed in Puerto Rico have” to professionals who come to provide health services in the wake of the crisis produced by Hurricane María three weeks ago.
Dr. Ramón Tallaj, spokesperson of the group of doctors and a native of the Dominican Republic, said he took the initiative to travel to Puerto Rico after seeing the federal government’s slow response to the emergency, adding that his group is committed to provide resources to the island for a year.
“We expected an immediate response, it being a U.S. territory [but] after seeing how things continued,” they decided to help, Tallaj explained, and “immediately communicated with our contacts…with the community doctors and we learned of the precarious situation, both in those two areas [Naranjito and Comerío] and the neighboring municipalities [Barranquitas, Morovis and Corozal].”
The doctor said Somos will bring to Puerto Rico solar generators, water filters, medicines and fans to distribute to elderly people with delicate conditions who are “in their homes with high temperatures.” He added that the entity brought medicine to treat up to 5,000 in case of a conjunctivitis outbreak.
Mayor Josean Santiago of Comerío emphasized the urgency of aid reaching where the need is when describing the dismal panorama that residents of the mountainous zone of Puerto Rico are living.
“[Comerío] is probably one of the municipalities impacted most by this hurricane. I have needs of all kinds and health should certainly be a priority. At this time we face problems with the potable water service, so the the community’s consumption of non-potable water is a concern; the collapse of our sewage system, whereby unprocessed water ends up in the river that many people are using to bathe,” the mayor said.
“We will be identifying the cases that need attention,” Santiago said. “Well, people have their healthcare card, private plan card, but there is no [insurance processing] system at the pharmacies. Sometimes they have serious difficulty providing maintenance medication. Those patients who are on dialysis, those patients who need insulin, those patients who try to see their doctor because with the pressure now, with this anxiety, health conditions become more complicated. They do not have access to their doctors,” he explained
According to the mayor, some 1,500 homes in Comerío “disappeared from the map” and another 2,500 were severely damaged so there are three and four families seeking shelter in the same house. “That upsets emotional health. Thanks for this group [Somos]. I’m sure my people will value its assistance very much and will have all the collaboration,” he added.
Related Posts
Latest News
-
Being Vigilant of the 7 Benchmarks to end 2022
We are just about to end the fourth quarter of...
- Posted November 22, 2022
-
Inflation Heading Down, What Happens Now?
The Four Benchmarks to review that confirm inflation may be...
- Posted November 14, 2022
-
The Six Factors to Expect during the end of 4Q22
We are deep within the fourth quarter we thought it...
- Posted November 10, 2022
-
Puerto Rico Banks Deliver strong earnings, beating most banks
Puerto Rico Banks Transformed their operational model The Puerto Rico...
- Posted November 9, 2022
-
US Congress Discrimination affecting the Puerto Rico’s Healthcare Ecosystem
The market dynamics that changed the Healthcare Ecosystem as we...
- Posted November 8, 2022
-
MCS contributes over $5 million to support member healthcare
The insurer distributed the amount among 409 community pharmacies in...
- Posted November 7, 2022
-
Droguería Betances Launches 60th Anniversary Ad Campaign
Droguería Betances has launched a new advertising campaign, “60 Reasons...
- Posted October 31, 2022
-
Puerto Rico Food Industry Helps Communities in Aftermath of Hurricane Fiona
Over three-quarters of a million dollars in aid to...
- October 24, 2022
-
Medplus Solutions celebrates 10 years Saving Lives
Innovation and continuous growth Expansion of specialized and more...
- May 18, 2022
-
Amazon Web Services Expands Operations in Puerto Rico
Local Office Will Offer Services to other Caribbean Islands...
- April 22, 2022
-
García Padilla: Rubio Is No Friend of Puerto Rico
Governor Says Rubio's Remarks Confirm he Works for 'Vultures'
- February 26, 2016
- 15
You must be logged in to post a comment Login