Naturopathic Medicine for Global Health Clinic in Panajachel, Guatemala

We are proud to support Dr. Beeson in her endeavors in Guatemala. Please continue to read below about her invaluable work with Naturopathic Medicine for Global Health Clinic.


Dear Interested & generous friends,

Thank you sincerely for your donation of product for the patients at the Naturopathic Medicine for Global Health Clinic  (NMGH)in Panajachel, Guatemala.

 

You can rest assured that all your offerings were put to excellent use. I spent one week treating patients who have little in the way of medical resources and I used the vitamins and probiotics proudly and gratefully, in treating the local population from babies to the elderly.

 

The people who came to the clinic included the indigenous people from the 11 villages surrounding Lake Atitlan, in south western Guatemala, who sell their wares in the street booths, and the Ladinos who live and work in all walks of life. They pay nothing or what amounts to $2.50, if they can. The clinic offers screening for malnutrition for babies and children, performed at no cost by the public health workers.  It also feature home health visits, to follow up patients after their visits to the clinic, and a weekly woman’s clinic held by a Guatemalan ObGyn doctor.

 

It is a different experience to diagnose and treat patients with limited access to diagnostic services, such as laboratory testing, imaging [xrays, MRIs] and minimal resources in the way of supplements and medications. It was necessary to quickly assess what was available in the small dispensary and use my fledgling Spanish to educate and recommend home treatments and nutritional advice.

As in the United States, diabetes is a national health crisis. However rice, tortillas and beans are staples in the local diets, with animal protein generally too expensive for most folks to afford on a daily basis. And, unfortunately, simple, refined sugars and starches are cheap and readily available in the form of soda and white bread & pastry items.

My hope is to help establish a residency site for naturopathic residents and to continue to support the work @ NMGH. Your confidence in me and generous response to my request are greatly appreciated.

In gratitude,

Margaret Beeson, ND