Dear Friends of MedNica,
Greetings from MedNica. We are a medical relief committee based in the Philadelphia area that has been in operation since 1985. Our main project is the support of a small community health clinic in Managua, Nicaragua. We also help to fund (when we are able) public health projects in the Caribbean community of Bluefields.
We are volunteers and the time and effort we spend in raising money and visiting the clinic is given without any remuneration. All money that you donate to MedNica will go entirely for medicines, for physician and nurse salaries, for material improvements to the clinic, and for diagnostic equipment. Your donations are tax deductible.
This year violence and tragedy that seemingly came out of nowhere shredded the peace which has endured in the streets of Nicaragua since 1990. In April the Nicaraguan government, under President Daniel Ortega, responded with force to protests of a planned decrease in social security benefits. The violent repression of these protests eventually led to the deaths of over 400 people including many university students, and the large-scale destruction of property. These developments have stunned and saddened all of us on the committee.
Through all of this La Clinica Juanita Connelly Mendoza (the clinic is named for the beloved nurse who ran it from its founding until her death) has remained open and functioning. The physicians and nurses who work there, and the people who come to seek treatment, have been nervous about being exposed to the danger in the streets. But so far, the staff have remained safe and patients have been seen as usual.
The clinic treats about 2000 patients a year. They come from the local barrio, San Jose Oriental, the city at large, and also the “Departments” of the Caribbean coast. The clinic has ties to the Costa Atlántico region because it was started by members of the Moravian Church which has its Central American roots in the African/ (Central) American communities there. The clinic is still located on the grounds of the Iglesia Morava in Managua, but all who present for medical attention are welcomed. A small fee is charged for a doctor visit, but this is waived if the patient can’t afford to pay.
People seeking treatment arrive in the morning. They write their names on a signup sheet and sit patiently under a rudimentary porch while the sun rises and the day gets hot. They present with any number of illnesses. Worried mothers bring their children in with colds which can progress to pneumonia. Older gentlemen and ladies come in with diabetes and hypertension. As is the case everywhere, people with silent illnesses like high blood pressure need education, encouragement and empathy to stick to their regimen. The Clinic also has been able to offer much needed mental health counseling provided by therapist Madlyn West. This is a vital service for people enduring the stresses of poverty, violence and civil disruption.
Your contributions have helped to move the clinic into the 21st century. We have purchased a portable ultrasound machine, and Dr. Karina Cepeda has received training for this. She can now evaluate pregnancies, abdominal symptoms and circulatory problems with more assurance and accuracy. Our colleagues at the clinic were thrilled with this addition. And we could only do it because of your generosity.
What is most important to us is supporting the daily operation of the clinic. We can only do this with your help. The budget for all this isn’t much by American standards, but we completely rely on the donations we receive from you to achieve the annual budget of $17,600. Any donation you can afford is welcome and makes an impact. A contribution of $25 for example will treat middle ear infections in 33 children. $50 will provide a month’s medication for 100 adult diabetics. And $100 will treat 12 children with intestinal parasites. The medicines are purchased in bulk from Central American companies and are given without charge. Our relationship with the clinic has grown and strengthened over the years as we have worked to facilitate and improve its services. This past November Sylvia was awarded with a plaque by the staff of the clinic for her years of service to the people of Nicaragua. And a part of that award belongs to everyone who has made a donation to MedNica.
Please check on our website, https://mednica.weebly.com/. Photographs and the latest news about the clinic are posted regularly. You can even make donations there https://mednica.weebly.com/support.html
If you would like to receive this letter by email in the future, send us your email address. We’ll keep it confidential of course. That will save us the cost of a stamp and then we can easily keep you up-to-date of any special activities involving MedNica.
Sincerely, Sylvia Metzler Rick Runquist , MedNICA Co-Chairs
Greetings from MedNica. We are a medical relief committee based in the Philadelphia area that has been in operation since 1985. Our main project is the support of a small community health clinic in Managua, Nicaragua. We also help to fund (when we are able) public health projects in the Caribbean community of Bluefields.
We are volunteers and the time and effort we spend in raising money and visiting the clinic is given without any remuneration. All money that you donate to MedNica will go entirely for medicines, for physician and nurse salaries, for material improvements to the clinic, and for diagnostic equipment. Your donations are tax deductible.
This year violence and tragedy that seemingly came out of nowhere shredded the peace which has endured in the streets of Nicaragua since 1990. In April the Nicaraguan government, under President Daniel Ortega, responded with force to protests of a planned decrease in social security benefits. The violent repression of these protests eventually led to the deaths of over 400 people including many university students, and the large-scale destruction of property. These developments have stunned and saddened all of us on the committee.
Through all of this La Clinica Juanita Connelly Mendoza (the clinic is named for the beloved nurse who ran it from its founding until her death) has remained open and functioning. The physicians and nurses who work there, and the people who come to seek treatment, have been nervous about being exposed to the danger in the streets. But so far, the staff have remained safe and patients have been seen as usual.
The clinic treats about 2000 patients a year. They come from the local barrio, San Jose Oriental, the city at large, and also the “Departments” of the Caribbean coast. The clinic has ties to the Costa Atlántico region because it was started by members of the Moravian Church which has its Central American roots in the African/ (Central) American communities there. The clinic is still located on the grounds of the Iglesia Morava in Managua, but all who present for medical attention are welcomed. A small fee is charged for a doctor visit, but this is waived if the patient can’t afford to pay.
People seeking treatment arrive in the morning. They write their names on a signup sheet and sit patiently under a rudimentary porch while the sun rises and the day gets hot. They present with any number of illnesses. Worried mothers bring their children in with colds which can progress to pneumonia. Older gentlemen and ladies come in with diabetes and hypertension. As is the case everywhere, people with silent illnesses like high blood pressure need education, encouragement and empathy to stick to their regimen. The Clinic also has been able to offer much needed mental health counseling provided by therapist Madlyn West. This is a vital service for people enduring the stresses of poverty, violence and civil disruption.
Your contributions have helped to move the clinic into the 21st century. We have purchased a portable ultrasound machine, and Dr. Karina Cepeda has received training for this. She can now evaluate pregnancies, abdominal symptoms and circulatory problems with more assurance and accuracy. Our colleagues at the clinic were thrilled with this addition. And we could only do it because of your generosity.
What is most important to us is supporting the daily operation of the clinic. We can only do this with your help. The budget for all this isn’t much by American standards, but we completely rely on the donations we receive from you to achieve the annual budget of $17,600. Any donation you can afford is welcome and makes an impact. A contribution of $25 for example will treat middle ear infections in 33 children. $50 will provide a month’s medication for 100 adult diabetics. And $100 will treat 12 children with intestinal parasites. The medicines are purchased in bulk from Central American companies and are given without charge. Our relationship with the clinic has grown and strengthened over the years as we have worked to facilitate and improve its services. This past November Sylvia was awarded with a plaque by the staff of the clinic for her years of service to the people of Nicaragua. And a part of that award belongs to everyone who has made a donation to MedNica.
Please check on our website, https://mednica.weebly.com/. Photographs and the latest news about the clinic are posted regularly. You can even make donations there https://mednica.weebly.com/support.html
If you would like to receive this letter by email in the future, send us your email address. We’ll keep it confidential of course. That will save us the cost of a stamp and then we can easily keep you up-to-date of any special activities involving MedNica.
Sincerely, Sylvia Metzler Rick Runquist , MedNICA Co-Chairs
Special Fundraising Project for 2019
The portable ultrasound purchased with your donations last year is a welcome and valuable addition to the clinical care provided to patients. The ultrasound machine actually requires a computer to record the images and prepare patient reports that can be stored in their medical records or printed for patient referrals to hospitals or specialists. The staff have been using one of the nurse’s personal computers..
The clinic does not have its own laptop computer that can maintain this personal health in-formation in a separate and secure location. The computer will enable the staff to keep track of visits and other aspects of clinical care that a re needed in current medical practice.
Please consider an extra donation this year to enable the clinic to purchase a computer and printer. We will collaborate with local vendors to support their economy.
The portable ultrasound purchased with your donations last year is a welcome and valuable addition to the clinical care provided to patients. The ultrasound machine actually requires a computer to record the images and prepare patient reports that can be stored in their medical records or printed for patient referrals to hospitals or specialists. The staff have been using one of the nurse’s personal computers..
The clinic does not have its own laptop computer that can maintain this personal health in-formation in a separate and secure location. The computer will enable the staff to keep track of visits and other aspects of clinical care that a re needed in current medical practice.
Please consider an extra donation this year to enable the clinic to purchase a computer and printer. We will collaborate with local vendors to support their economy.