Last Monday (Oct 12) our Club recognized Student of the Month for Sep - Kody Culbert and Oct - Emily Miller, both from Fremont Ross High School virtually. We are happy that the monthly recognition continue in this school year.
Also we had a visiting Rotarian joined our meeting all the way from Iquitos, Peru - DGE Jacinto Zevallos. He brought greetings from our sister Club, Iquitos Rotary Club.
PP Cheryl (in person) and Rotarian Iracema (virtual) shared the trip experience to Iquitos, Peru this past Feb 2020. The presentation covered the sister Club agreement signing ceremony with Iquitos Rotary Club, the clinic rename ceremony to Jorge Arevalo Melho (Iracema's late father) in honoring his 50 years dedication to the local communities at Morona Cocha, and the opening of new lab with Nihon Kohden Cellitac Es/blood analysis equipment. This equipment cost USD$21,000 was funded by our Club, District grant, individual and community member donors.
This clinic opens 24/7 and provides free services that include emergency, pharmacy, laboratory, medical records, infection diseases (including tuberculosis and dengue fever), pediatrics, vaccination, dental, midwife, maternity, and obstetrics to the local community's average income less than USD$1/day. The clinic has an epidemiologist on staff and provides community services, including monitoring the spread of disease, outreach, going into schools, immunizing animals to prevent the transmission of diseases to humans, education on how to treat water at home (the water is contaminated), and how to prevent malaria, dengue and heart disease. Staff and volunteers also go by board into jungle communities accessible only by water to provide services to indigenous peoples living there.
The blood analysis machine is much needed as in the past it would take 30 minutes per blood test, done by hands of 8 Technicians, only 900 samples completed per month. The machine will take 90 seconds per blood test, done by machine monitor by 1 Technician, 3,000 to 5,000 samples completed per month. It is anticipated that 20,000 patients will receive blood testing done by this machine each year.
Our sister Club, Iquitos Rotarians will be assisting us in monitoring the maintenance of this machine, continue providing Rotary services to the clinic and the people.
