Over the decades, Medicines for Nicaragua (MedNica) has responded to community needs and unforeseen global and local events. The following are three projects which have evolved or are "on hold."
Tropical and General Medicines Rotation
Temple University medical students participated in a tropical and general medicine rotation with two weeks at the Managua clinic and two weeks on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. While in Managua the students visited local hospital with the Clinic doctors in addition to working in the Clinic. On the Atlantic Coast they worked at the Bluefields hospital and clinic. And sometimes they had the opportunity to travel to remote communities to provide medical services. Since the onset of Covid 19, the program has been on hold.
Potable Water Projects
When MedNica board members became aware of how much disease that we were helping to treat was caused by contaminated water ( Giardia, E.coli, Hepatitis A, dysentery, cholera, etc) we decided to support preventative as well as secondary and tertiary medicine.
MedNica solicited donations for and supervised the digging of wells for potable water in the Atlantic Coast region of Nicaragua.. Although this area sees a lot of rainfall every year, the availability of clean drinking water was limited by many factors. In the Atlantic Coast, the proper construction of wells to prevent contamination is expensive and difficult. MedNica helped to alleviate this problem by providing money and expertise for many years until we lost our medical contacts on the Atlantic Coast.
We also purchased and erected a large water tank on the grounds of the Managua clinic so that potable water is available at all times for both drinking and sanitary needs. Since water is frequently unavailable there during the day, the tank is filled at night and then available all day.
Donated medical supplies and medications
For years, MedNica solicited donations of cardiac pacemakers from hospital and manufacturers to be implanted in patients in Managua. The patients were selected on the basis of need, both medical and economic. The pacemakers were used to prolong or to save the lives of patients from indigent families. MedNica also solicited donations of other medical equipment and supplies in the US and transported them to the clinic in Managua. We not longer do this for two reasons: (a) we help Nicaraguan businesses by purchasing medications and supplies directly from them; and (b) it has become very difficult to transport medical supplies and medication.
Tropical and General Medicines Rotation
Temple University medical students participated in a tropical and general medicine rotation with two weeks at the Managua clinic and two weeks on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. While in Managua the students visited local hospital with the Clinic doctors in addition to working in the Clinic. On the Atlantic Coast they worked at the Bluefields hospital and clinic. And sometimes they had the opportunity to travel to remote communities to provide medical services. Since the onset of Covid 19, the program has been on hold.
Potable Water Projects
When MedNica board members became aware of how much disease that we were helping to treat was caused by contaminated water ( Giardia, E.coli, Hepatitis A, dysentery, cholera, etc) we decided to support preventative as well as secondary and tertiary medicine.
MedNica solicited donations for and supervised the digging of wells for potable water in the Atlantic Coast region of Nicaragua.. Although this area sees a lot of rainfall every year, the availability of clean drinking water was limited by many factors. In the Atlantic Coast, the proper construction of wells to prevent contamination is expensive and difficult. MedNica helped to alleviate this problem by providing money and expertise for many years until we lost our medical contacts on the Atlantic Coast.
We also purchased and erected a large water tank on the grounds of the Managua clinic so that potable water is available at all times for both drinking and sanitary needs. Since water is frequently unavailable there during the day, the tank is filled at night and then available all day.
Donated medical supplies and medications
For years, MedNica solicited donations of cardiac pacemakers from hospital and manufacturers to be implanted in patients in Managua. The patients were selected on the basis of need, both medical and economic. The pacemakers were used to prolong or to save the lives of patients from indigent families. MedNica also solicited donations of other medical equipment and supplies in the US and transported them to the clinic in Managua. We not longer do this for two reasons: (a) we help Nicaraguan businesses by purchasing medications and supplies directly from them; and (b) it has become very difficult to transport medical supplies and medication.