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Medical supplies and equipment needed
Since August 2020 we have been renting oxygen concentrators to help patients with breathing problems. These are principally needed for Covid, dengue and renal patients.
Our medical team have provided care or education more than 400 vulnerable people with respect to Covid so far (as at the end of 2022). More than 30 people died in the area - as far as we know but they weren't tested. Poco a Poco San Pedro has rented and borrowed oxygen machines to assist people with their breathing, as they do not want to go the hospital and believe they will die there.
At the earlier "peak" we were renting 11 machines. We purchased one portable oxygen machine for use when taking people to hospital, and were donated two other oxygen concentrators. We are paying to have those two machines repaired and recalibrated.
In January 2022, there were more cases of Covid in the town, and we had to rent more machines again. Each machine costs around 4,200 pesos each month to rent. We are hoping to purchase 2 more machines, rather than rent them, as there seems to be a never ending need by covid and renal patients for oxygen assistance.
You may have previously helped before and we are so grateful to you. But we do need to buy more machines, to save the rental cost. They have saved many lives. If you are interested we would be very grateful for your help. Just click here to reach our donate page.
We try to keep this page updated with the urgent supplies that are needed for health related problems in the area. The problem is there is no pharmacy in San Pedro Itzicán, or in any of the small villages. And people there can't afford medicines anyway.
The Poco a Poco medical office in San Pedro is the only local place people can go for first aid for minor ailments (they otherwise have to go to the town of Poncitlán by bus or other transport).
So this is why we are constantly in need of more supplies!
Since Covid hit the medical sector in Mexico, many services that were available to low income families, have become unavailable. Their only option is to go to private hospitals or clinics.
For something like dialysis, the increased cost is just not feasible for most of the people in the San Pedro area (unless they have wealthy family members in the US who can financially help them). Dialysis patients were typically paying 500 pesos, three times a week pre-covid. Now some people are having to pay 1,800 pesos for each session. Anti-rejection medication for renal transplant patients has also gone up from 400 pesos for a month's supply to over 1,500 pesos a month.
So during 2022, we have been spending over 60,000 pesos each month (around US $3,000) to provide essential medicines and services (dialysis), for people who cannot afford these services. Renal transplant patients need their anti-rejection medicine or they will die. We can't sustain this either, but what can we do?