Venezuela

Support of the clinic in Benedict XVI Rubio in providing free medical care to a local community.

Why?

Why do we help in Venezuela?

The economic crisis in Venezuela has deepened since 2016 and the country is falling into uncontrolled chaos. The country’s inhabitants were left with microscopic salaries that previously had mainly covered their additional expenses, because the state provided them with food, electricity, and gas free of charge. It is estimated that around 4 million Venezuelans have left the country, and around 7 million inhabitants (or 1/4 of the population) need humanitarian assistance.

In crisis-ridden Venezuela there is a shortage of basic medical supplies and food while electricity is cut off for several hours every day. In the main maternity and children's hospitals, both blood banks and storage rooms for medicines and vaccines are empty. Most families cannot afford medicines and food. The residents have therefore started to cut down on their shopping bills; children often eat only one meal a day.

Access to medical care is very limited. The emigration of medical personnel and the deterioration of infrastructure have further undermined the efficiency of the health system.

Hospitals ran out of supplies. A doctor with tears in her eyes showed me empty fridges where vaccines used to be stored.
Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart,
Project Coordinator
How?

How do we help in Venezuela?

In 2019, we made contact with the local medical organisation Deus Caritas Est, which helps the inhabitants of one of the most affected regions - Rubio, right at the border with Colombia. After meeting the doctors in Rubio, we decided to buy vaccines that have not been available in the serum bank in Venezuela for several years. The lack of vaccines against hepatitis A or rotaviruses caused outbreaks of these diseases. Hospitals do not have the means to prevent infants from falling ill.

We have also prepared a database of about 500 poorest families in Rubio, usually with many children, the elderly, or disabled children. We provided them with food packages that allow them to prepare wholesome meals.

We are currently supporting the operation of the Benedict XVI clinic in Rubio. The staff provides free medical care, incl. in the field of general medicine, gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Additionally, we are conducting workshops on responding to the threat of gender-based violence.

100000
PLN
to help babies
200
families
have received food parcels
2
hospitals
where the sera will go
Venezuela 2019, production: Polish Medical Mission
Who do we help?

People’s stories

Lack of vaccination harms the most vulnerable: infants, pregnant women, and the elderly. All mothers are scared about their children.

meet Juliene

I saw Juliene on a hospital bench. She was holding a tiny child. His crying echoed in the long hospital corridor. Juliene just turned 20 and received such a wonderful gift from life – the gift of motherhood. She told me that for several weeks, she had been looking for a health centre, where she would had been able to vaccinate her son, Manuelito. We talked for a while, standing in the empty corridor. I saw determination in Juliene's eyes; she would do anything to help her child. The midget fell asleep while she was holding him, and I thought I was lucky that with my children, I could always go to the doctor without worrying about vaccines and treatment. For me, Juliene, a Venezuelan mother from the end of the world, fighting for vaccines, food, struggling with power outages and liquidated urban transport, was a heroine I wanted to talk about in Poland. I didn't tell Juliene that serum banks in the country were empty, and a doctor at the largest children's hospital had showed me empty vaccine fridges. I just took out my phone and asked her to tell Poles what her son needed. This recording became the heart of a campaign for medical assistance in Venezuela. After few months I returned to Venezuela. I met Juliene again. Manuelito was almost a year old, and thanks to doctors from Deus Caritas Est, he was vaccinated with vaccines imported from Colombia.

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Who helps?

Who helps in Venezuela?

We are one of the few Polish non-governmental organizations that provide medical assistance. We help where the needs are the greatest. Our assistance is long-term – it brings permanent changes in the communities we support.
Polish Medical Mission
Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart
Project Coordinator
Co-financing
Polish Medical Mission
The Association’s own resources with the support of Donors.
Partner
Deus Caritas Est Foundation
The Deus Caritas Est Foundation was established in 2015 by doctors, nurses and paramedics from the city of Rubio. The aim of the activities of Deus Caritas Est is to provide medical assistance and support to the poorest social groups in Rubio, particularly families with many children, the elderly and the disabled.
Medical aid. Permanent changes. Local partner.
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