.jpg/dims/resize/740/optimize) German Aragones, director of the Peru-Korea Maternal Infant Care Clinic based in Pachacutec, Peru, says his facility is unrivaled in terms of medical services and equipment in the region, during an interview with The Korea Times on June 1. |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
PACHACUTEC, Peru ― Child mortality in Pachacutec, an urban slum located 40 kilometers northwest of Peru's capital Lima, stood high in the past. But numbers dropped sharply after a South Korean aid agency-sponsored clinic featuring modern medical facilities was set up and has been providing services to the residents from 2007.
The Peru-Korea Maternal Infant Care Clinic (hereafter Peru-Korea Clinic) has become a landmark building in the region where the 150,000 urban poor encounter harsh socio-economic everyday life in the community.
Nearly 43 percent of the population are children under 15, and this prompted Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to finance the creation of an infant care clinic there.
An estimated 70 percent of the residents live below the poverty line. Hwang Jeong-hwan, a former KOICA volunteer (2008-2010), said no child mortality was reported when he worked at the clinic.
"I remember some pregnant women living in distant areas came all the way down to the clinic when they had a baby," the 35-year-old doctor recalled. "They chose the Peru-Korea Clinic, instead of the one in their neighborhood, because it has brand-new modern equipment and provided 24-hour medical services."
There are 48 clinics, including the KOICA-sponsored clinic, in Pachacutec.
Among these, German Aragones, director of the clinic, said the Peru-Korea Clinic is unrivaled in its modern infrastructure.
"It is the only hospital equipped with ultrasonography and emergency room in this region," he said. "As director of the clinic, I just thank the Korean government, as well as KOICA, for this wonderful hospital. It has made a difference for the Pachacutec people."
Approximately 350 patients receive medical treatment from the hospital every day. About 80 doctors and nurses take care of patients day and night.
Fortunata Roca, a patient, has taken her two-week old baby for medical treatment at the clinic 10 times.
The 38-year-old single mom said she likes the clinic because it has modern facilities and the doctors and nurses are kind.
"This hospital has a very good reputation among residents. People say there are many good doctors here and they are nice to their patients," she said.
The success of the Peru-Korea Clinic, despite its short history, has inspired several clinics in the neighborhood to benchmark the practice.
Urban slum
Hwang, who now works with Seoul National University Hospital, said his volunteer experience in Pachacutec allowed him to witness a variety of marginalized lives of local residents.
"Among my patients, there was a single mom who was blind and had two children. One of her kids couldn't hear as one ear had a problem and the other child was also blind," the doctor said. "The mom raised her children with income that she earned from begging in a marketplace and financial support from the neighbors."
Residents came to settle down in Pachacutec after they left their hometowns for new jobs in Lima. The majority of them work in the capital city as laborers, construction workers or in the manufacturing sector.
Information about the average monthly income of these workers was unavailable but Hwang said he saw some of the poorest workers with a daily income below $3.
In Pachacutec, some households forgo electricity. The drinking water supply is not reliable as the urban slum is located in a spacious desert area.
"A drinking water vehicle went to the community every day. People bought water by paying less than $1 per month. They used the purchased water for cooking, washing and drinking," Hwang said.
In November 2008, first lady Kim Yoon-ok paid a visit to the clinic on the sidelines of President Lee Myung-bak's visit to Peru. Kim was surprised at the crowds gathering near the hospital when she arrived there.
Her aide said nearly 2,000 people flocked to the clinic's neighborhood to express their sincere gratitude to the first lady for the facility.
She was briefed on data concerning the heath status of pregnant women and their babies who became sick as they didn't receive proper medical treatment before the establishment of the hospital.
Moved and heartfelt, Kim wept.
Her aide said the first lady mentioned her experience in Pachacutec on several occasions after returning to Seoul.
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