The absence of money leads to supply shortages. Often, these facilities ask that their patients bring their own supplies. Because they don’t have the money to purchase new equipment or replenish their supplies, they’re often understocked. Rural hospitals like the one in Uspantán operate on extremely tight budgets. The country spends about $224 per capita on health care annually, the lowest amount in Central America. Publicly funded hospitals don’t have enough money. In Guatemala, where the most vulnerable people bear the highest burden for health care, medical supplies mean the difference between life and death. The National Hospital of Uspantán is one of these facilities. Without these donations, there’s no telling how people in the surrounding areas would survive basic medical emergencies. Medical Teams International sends critical supplies and equipment to 20 health facilities in rural areas of Guatemala, serving a predominantly indigenous population. And they come in boxes shipped from the United States. While it’s hard to look past the rusted gurneys and delivery tables, alarmingly outdated equipment, or the fact that the hospital is understaffed, there are signs of hope. A corridor inside Uspantán National Hospital in Guatemala, with outdated medical equipment and medical suppliesĪ corridor inside the Uspantán National Hospital in Guatemala. Up in the Guatemalan highlands, where poverty meets seclusion, the hospital struggles to keep stock of the most basic medical tools. Rooms filled with sterile, state-of-the-art equipment.īut walk through the stained hallways of the National Hospital of Uspantán, Guatemala, and reality will replace those idyllic visions. A few images will probably pop into your head.
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