Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Health | May 10, 2011 [ 6:11 ]

German tourist suffers brain injury after fall from horse in Cuzco

LivinginPeru.com

A German woman, identified as Pilar Sophia Chalalla, 19, was emergency evacuated to a local clinic after falling from a horse, reports La Républica.

Radio programs reported that the foreigner was seriously injured while on a tour of the archaeological site of Moray in the Maras district in the province of Urubamba, Cusco.

It was known that the accident victim was a volunteer with the NGO Munaycha, which does work in the community of Chicón.

Her companions, identified as John Matta, 65, and Carla C. and Carla G., both 19, took her to the nearest health center where she was diagnosed with a brain injury.

Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | May 5, 2011 [ 9:04 ]

U.S. Navy's floating hospital comes to northern Peru

LivinginPeru.com

The USNS Comfort was greeted by the Peruvian Navy as it arrived at Paita's port on April 30. The giant floating hospital will provide dental and medical assistance, including surgeries, to the Piura region.

The Piura Regional Government serves as the principal coordinator for medical appointments and other scheduled activities for different sites in the region, including performances by a U.S. Navy band.

An estimated 5,000 residents are expected to benefit from this joint humanitarian operation.

USNS Comfort's visit to Peru is part of Operation Continuing Promise 2011, a five month deployment to Latin America and the Caribbean to provide humanitarian medical services and form partnerships with host nations, governments and health services.

In addition to Peru, the ship will travel to Jamaica, Ecuador, Colombia, Central America and Haiti. In Peru, the crew coordinates closely with the Navy of Peru, the Regional Government of Piura, the Peruvian Red Cross, local governments and the Hospital Las Mercedes in Piura.

The crew plans to provide consultation and medical treatment in the cities of Paita and La Huaca. They will also conduct about 100 surgeries aboard the Comfort.

In operation since 1987, the USNS Comfort provides fast mobile surgical care in support of military operations, disaster response and humanitarian assistance.

The Comfort visited Peru in 2007 when he landed on the city-port of Salaverry, near Trujillo, for a week of medical services including surgery.

The ship played a critical role after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, where it anchored off the coast of Port-au-Prince to provide emergency medical care.

Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | May 4, 2011 [ 12:34 ]

More than 50 percent of Peruvians suffer from bad breath

LivinginPeru.com

More than 50 percent of Peruvians suffer from bad breath, Dr. Jim Romero Lloclla told La Républica.

Romero, National Coordinator of strategies for oral health, says this is a problem that originates in the back of the mouth from the breakdown of food, cell and blood, among other components.

"Bad breath does not come from the stomach, but is caused by a group of anaerobic sulfur bacteria (that multiply when there is a lack of oxygen in the oral environment), living on the surface of the tongue and back of the throat. In certain conditions these bacteria begin to produce volatile sulfur compounds," he said.

Romero says the bacteria can be seen on the back of the tongue in a white-colored patch.

Visiting the dentist twice a year, flossing and brushing your teeth as well as the back of your tongue are helpful in preventing bad breath, according to WebMD.

2 comments | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | May 4, 2011 [ 12:02 ]

New hospital to be constructed in Rimac will serve 2,000 daily

LivinginPeru.com

In two weeks the future site of the Hospital of Solidarity in Rímac will be determined. Today Pedro Francke, executive president of the Metropolitan System of Solidarity (SISOL), and the district's mayor Enrique Peramás visited the two possible sites.

Francke says the hospital built by the municipality of Lima will have more than 20 different medical specialties.

The first of the two possible sites is located at the intersection of Guillermo Suarez Avenue and Flor de Amancaes in the neighborhood of Villa Covirímac. This site has 20,000 square meters of land and is currently used as a parking lot for old buses.

The other possible location is on the fourth block of Jirón Libertad, with an area of 2,000 square meters. In this site a building of three to four floor could be constructed in the heart of the district.

"The choice depends on two factors. First, the social economic one, which takes into account its accessibility to patients. The second responds to the technical, architectural and construction cost," Francke told Perú21.

Peramás points out that the construction of the hospital will also benefit Rímac's neighbors in San Juan de Lurigancho.

Francke said that he is also talking with the municipality of Villa María del Triunfo about the possibility of constructing an additional hospital there, according to La Républica.

1 comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | May 4, 2011 [ 10:37 ]

Castañeda hospitalized for severe dehydration

LivinginPeru.com

Former presidential candidate and Lima mayor Luis Castañeda was admitted to the emergency room Tuesday at the San Pablo Clinic in Surco because of severe dehydration, reports Frecuencia Latina.

After several tests, Castañeda was hospitalized in room 418 of the clinic under observation. There is still no official report on his health.

Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | May 3, 2011 [ 10:41 ]

Mackerel sold for low prices to feed Peruvians most in need

LivinginPeru.com

On Tuesday Minister of Production Jorge Villasante presented a new campaign to provide the sale of mackerel at low prices permanently.

In March Villasante first announced the plan – "Mackerel for All, From Sea to Table" – to benefit 13,000 families in Lima by selling mackerel at one and a half soles per kilogram.

In March the fish was sold with success in La Victoria, Ate, Pachacamac and Manchay. The program has since grown to other areas of the country, including the regions of Cuzco and Huancavelica.

Once the fresh mackerel is gone, frozen mackerel is offered at two soles.

"It's a price three times cheaper than chicken," Villasante said.

The initiative aims to promote fish consumption and combat malnutrition.

Villasante was accompanied Tuesday by more than 200 cooks from popular Lima kitchens, who performed a demonstration on handling and cooking fish.

Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | May 3, 2011 [ 10:29 ]

Health workers in Puno threaten to radicalize indefinite strike

LivinginPeru.com

Workers of the regional health system defined strategies to radicalize their protest actions, reports Coordinadora Nacional de Radio (CNR).

An indefinite strike began two weeks ago. Victor Chura, leader of the strikers, says the group has so far not been heard by regional government authorities.

The strikers claim the regional president is keeping the regional health director, Angel Ramos Casas, in office for political reasons, despite the questioning of her competence by even the regional council.

"We're will not stop the fight. We are not willfully misrepresenting things and have shown the inability of the current administrative director," Chura says.

The group of strikers plans to make an assessment today that shows how the incompetence of Ramos Casas is allegedly hurting the public.

Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | May 3, 2011 [ 8:18 ]

Child dies in Belen flooding, health services offered for other victims

By Elie Gardner
LivinginPeru.com

The growing Itaya River claimed another victim last week when Alison Castro Manihuari, 2, fell into the water while playing with her brother.

During the rainy season, Belén is a city on water. It's dirt paths turn to waterways, and the community constructs wooden walkways to navigate. Manihuari fell from one of these wooden walkways. Her 8-year-old brother jumped in after her, but the water was too deep for him to help.

This year heavy rains in Loreto caused the river to burst its banks and inundate the districts of San Juan, Belén and Punchana and the city of Iquitos.

Many residents have been relocated to community centers, parks or tent settlements on high ground. In addition, homes built of wood and leaves have collapsed.

The Regional Health Bureau of Loreto has served more than 2,000 victims of the higher than average water in the district of Belén.

According to Víctor Choquehuanca, director of the General Office of National Defense, the health center Sixth of October that serves the community has not been damaged by the flood, since it was built on a higher foundation.

In Belén the same water is used for bathing, going the bathroom, cooking and washing clothes and dishes. Because of the high population density and varied use of the water, health issues are common.

The national system of health care, La Red Salud, says it's monitoring children under five years in anticipation of cases of acute diarrheal diseases (ADD) and acute respiratory infections (ARIs) that could arise.

Touted as the Venice of Peru, tourists often visit Belén in the rainy season to take pictures of the floating city.

Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | April 26, 2011 [ 21:50 ]

Donate to Peru Children's Hospital: Campaign in Lima April 29

LivinginPeru.com

This Friday, April 29, a legion of volunteers will be out in Lima collecting donations for the Instituto de Salud del Niño, the city’s children’s hospital. The money collected will be used to cover costs for children at the hospital who come from situations of extreme poverty. Examples of uses include: special tests, prosthetics, wheel chairs, medicine and treatment for burn cases.

Look out for these women out about in Lima from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Or make a donation using the following information:

Interbank Bank account number in soles: 200-3000327873; account number in dollars: 200-3000327880. Contact the volunteers at avoldinsn_peru@yahoo.com or call 424-0606.

Case study: Yamile
After an accident at school, 6-year-old Yamile received poor medical attention at a health post and was diagnosed at the children’s hospital with pneumonia and pulmonary embolism. While Yamile’s mother was unable to pay the hospital costs, this beautiful girl was saved from losing her legs with the timely treatment she received, made possible by the Children’s Hospital Volunteers. Yamilie is now in stable condition and is recovering.


About the organization
AVOLDINSN is a non-profit NGO dedicated to serving children at a children’s hospital in Lima, the Instituto de Salud del Niño. Focus is given towards hospitalized children who come from situations of extreme poverty. AVOLDINSN is registered publicly in Peru under the Sunarp code 331 – 2001.

1 comment | Add to del.icio.us |

Health | March 29, 2011 [ 10:40 ]

Peru's ministry of health confiscates 20 tons of fake medicine between 2007 and 2010

LivinginPeru.com

Antibiotics, analgesics and anti-inflammatories are the types of medicine most often “counterfeited,” or faked, according to Peru’s general agency for medicine and drugs (Digemid), part of the country’s ministry of health. “What is most often faked are medicines that cure common illnesses,” said Percy Ocampo Rujel, executive director of health vigilance for the ministry of health, who added that vitamins and natural products can also be faked or adulterated.

Digemid presented yesterday a sample of the 20 tons of fake and adulterated medicines that it confiscated between 2007 and 2010. Of the confiscated material, 30.1 percent is antibiotics, and another 30.1 percent is analgesics. Vitamins follow at 9.3 percent.

Ocampo said that with the recent modification of the penal code, sellers of adulterated medicine can be sentenced with up to 15 years in prison. “Our operations will have the support of judges, who will be able to assign prison sentences,” he added.

Ocampo urged the public to check the health license, expiration date and state of conservation when buying medicine.

Add comment | Add to del.icio.us |