The Catholic university collaborates with Worldproject NGO in an international mission
Nearly 5,500 kilometers in a straight line separate the town of Kikaya (Uganda) from Murcia, a distance that hardly exists when the sun rises in the heart of Africa and the Worldproject and UCAM volunteers put on their Catholic University t-shirts, which are already unmistakable to the local population and represent in these latitudes a glimmer of hope. For the second consecutive year, a team of professors from the educational institution chaired by José Luis Mendoza has abandoned the comfort of their daily routine for two weeks to collaborate with Worldproject NGO in its international mission to set up a clinic, equip it and train the health personnel of area.
“This clinic provides support and free assistance to some 15,000 people. If necessary, patients are admitted for a short stay and we have the option of transferring them to the hospital by ambulance”, commented Manuel Luque, president of Worldproject, who is very grateful to UCAM for its determined support for this cause, which arose at through the drive and determination of Manuel Pardo, vice-dean of the Degree in Podiatry at this university. It is a 24-hour journey with endless stops, stretches by car on non-existent roads and even a boat trip on Lake Victoria to reach the Chloe clinic, where they carried out their mission.
Today, Wednesday, upon their return, Jerónimo Lajara, dean of the Faculty of Medicine, welcomed them at UCAM, and valued the Worldproject initiative, the commitment of the University’s professors who have been involved in this cause, and the involvement of the UCAM «which has the vocation to help others, something that we always want to impress on our students. This specific mission has the plus of training people there so that they have trained personnel who can perfectly follow up on patients, to gradually count on complete services that have continuity when it comes to caring for their population.”
“Father Alcaraz (vice-rector for University Extension and Volunteering at UCAM) encouraged us to join projects in such a way that we would strengthen ties and create real responsibility,” says Professor Pardo. And so it has happened. When they arrived at their destination, introductions were no longer necessary, as Kikaya’s health workers and patients received them with hugs and with the gratitude of seeing that the commitment to them endures.
Mutual learning between teachers and health professionals
For Asun Quirante, 061 doctor and professor at UCAM, it is the second time she has participated and she assures that it will not be the last. The training is continuous and the experience enriches everyone: «One of the most interesting parts is that we see patients together with the health personnel there and we comment on how we approach the case. It is an apprenticeship both for them and for us”.
The central part of this year’s work consisted of equipping the clinic with new material and training the toilets in its correct use. The teachers of the Catholic University adapted the clinical simulation classes that they teach their students during the course and taught them essential aspects such as sutures, cast immobilization, first aid or childbirth assistance and the performance and interpretation of diagnostic tests such as electrocardiograms or ultrasound . Giulio Fenzi, Professor of Nursing, commented that “they have appreciated this training very much because they have verified that it can be very helpful. It is something very valuable for them and we know that it will be like that.
Also part of this expedition were Dafne Granado (physiotherapist), Yassel Parra (doctor) and the emergency health technicians, Rubén Gabarrón and Gustavo López.
Training and healthcare
The day to day passed with long hours of work to make the most of the hours of sunlight. Efforts had to be divided to locate the new machines that had arrived from Spain, train the area staff, hold a consultation with them to compare diagnoses and enrich each other, and continue improving the conditions of a clinic that little by little is taking on the appearance of a medical center as we understand it in Europe.
The volunteers of Worldproject ONG and the UCAM know that their work is essential so that thousands of people have free and decent health care that allows them to have a first reference in case of emergency and a center in their environment to attend. Thanks to the ambulance that was equipped last year and the possibility offered by the clinic, certain cases can be treated in better conditions and even transferred to the nearest hospitals, something unthinkable a few years ago.
The faces of gratitude of the Ugandans say it all and are the extra energy of the members of this project who, after leaving behind the comfort of their homes, are clear that they will return, as Asun Quirante commented: “The work is very hard , but the experience is incredible. The gratitude of the patients and colleagues who work there makes up for everything. It’s my second time there and I’m sure I’ll be back.”
With the memory in Uganda and without losing contact
The members of the expedition arrived in Murcia last night and today they have resumed their professional and academic activities. The physical fatigue is compensated by the overflowing energy that the gratitude of the people of Kikaya prints. The commitment to return remains and the contact is not lost since, during the year, the clinic’s health workers share experiences and cases with the teachers to see how they would approach the treatment. The 5,500 kilometers that separate the Ugandan clinic from the Murcian university fade under the traces of cooperation and hope, a hope that WorldProject NGO and the UCAM have taken to the heart of Africa.
#UCAM #sends #teachers #Uganda #equip #clinic #train #staff #care #patients