Peru Health Outreach Project

Meet our hosts in Pisac!

Pisac, noted for its bustling markets and echoes of pan-flute music along colorful streets, is a village in the Sacred Valley within the province of Cusco, Peru. It also houses the Asociacion Winaypaq Pro Desarrollo Humano, an association to promote health, education and culture within the Sacred Valley headed by Dr. Morales. Dr. Morales has graciously been our main contact in Peru since 2010. His passion for the Sacred Valley has mobilized health care providers in Peru and abroad to meet the health demands of its residents. On our first clinic day in Peru, we journeyed from Urubamba to the Centre de Salud in Pisac to learn more about the local population and the health challenges they generally faced.

At this health orientation, Dr. Morales and host of other physicians welcomed us and echoed our hopes for further cooperation and continued development of the project. Their hospitality shown in the warmth of their greetings, the colorful welcome banners and local variety of refreshments. Our kind hosts debriefed us on their expectations for this year’s patient profiles and clinical exposure. An obstetrician, hospitalist and nutritionist all explained the ongoing issues their patient confront and the ways in which the public health care legislation has attempted to address these concerns. We learned that all pregnant women receive free health care, which includes dental care and nutrition in addition to the general follow-ups with moms. And while trained mid-wives can attend to normal deliveries, they must refer complicated pregnancies outside the Pisac district.

We were informed of the ways in which public health officials are targeting parasitic infections in children and the challenges in treating adult patients who can’t afford to leave work for a doctor’s visit. Compounding problems and critical conditions are often the only reasons adults tend to see physicians and often times these conditions are beyond treatment. Additionally, we were given a brief overview of the cultural myths that have  dominated the region and the ways in which they affect health care. For example, congenital anomalies are often attributed to evil forces (soka or macho). Moreover, Dr. Morales explained that a lot of medications and healing traditions rely on the quality of the food they are supplementing their treatment with. Foods and drinks are inherently “hot” or “cold,” the quality of which is not dependent on the physical temperature of the food. Hence, physicians are advised to tell patients to consume whatever they believe is best for the illness because an incorrect recommendation can debase the physician’s credibility in the eyes of the patient.

After the orientation, the rise in energy level of our group was evident and we were more than excited to start our first day in clinic on Tuesday (6/11) in a beautiful village called Huandar!  Please stay tuned for our series of “Meet the patients of the Sacred Valley and Chincha.”