TAXCO HOSPITAL PROJECT
http://www.artcamp.com.mx/taxco/hospital/hospital.php
http://www.artcamp.com.mx/Downloads/hospital/HospitalProject.pps
***Hospital Project***
In 2001, our cooperative organized the donation
of ophthalmologic equipment
by RH Burton Company of Columbus Ohio
to our impoverished local public Adolfo Prieto Hospital
that serves the rural people of northern Guerrero
The air carrier DHL International very kindly donated
the pick-up and flight of the equipment from Columbus Ohio
and its delivery to the Hospital on Ave John F. Kennedy in Taxco Guerrero
Mexico.
To realize this project,
Artcamp worked closely with the administration of the Adolfo Prieto Hospital
the doctors and nurses
and also the legal department of the Secretary of Health’s office in
Chilpancingo.
Artcamp supplied the telephone, the office email,
the contacts with Burton and with DHL International.
Our idea at that time was to use Artcamp’s Internet interface
to catalyze development benefits for our local community
We are NOT interested in exploiting the donation cash stream.
We only want to realize the projects themselves
because the local public Hospital and the water in Tecalpulco
serve our real needs as citizens and members of the community.
The Hospital project we did was an accident in the sense
that we took advantage of a special situation, an opportunity
with a medical equipment manufacturer, RH Burton Company
of Columbus Ohio USA.
A friend of our friend, a young man, works at that company as a salesman.
He asked his boss who offered to donate valuable medical equipment.
The Adolfo Prieto Hospital has an Xray machine that was made in the 1950s
(!)
has only a single incubator, and blood lab equipment that looks like a child’s
toy,
and worn out sheets….
The Hospital is so poor it only has typewriters, not a single computer.
Yet the Adolfo Prieto Hospital
is the only public hospital in this entire region!
Anyway. Artcamp asked DHL International if they would donate
the pickup, flight, import, and delivery; and DHL did agree to help.
We learned a lot from this project. For one thing, what an incredible effect
this project made among everybody here. The doctors and nurses treat us with
extraordinary respect
When Angelica had birthing problems, she received an extraordinary service
and treatment.
The new Director has come twice to Artcamp, telling us that both he and his brother from Acapulco are heart surgeons, and how much it would cost to set up a heart surgery center, as if we were some kind of magic of miracles to petition for medical equipment donations!
The effect of one donation – of a modern equipped ophthalmic center
–
has been so profound that we want to try to reproduce the experience
with this Tecalpulco Water Project – the effect would be resounding.
Models of success right now are very valuable in Mexico.
The Secretary of Health’s office, the Hospital Director, the staff,
the doctors and nurses….
the eye-patients for the ophthalmic center are all served and inspired by
Artcamp’s effort
That Project was a matter of exploiting an opportunity with Burton and DHL
(with whom we remain on excellent terms). Now we are trying to foment and
organize
another such success with the Tecalpulco Water Project, in order that Artcamp
can prove
that it can accomplish such projects, so as to qualify itself as a reliable
development agent.