Saving Lives and Making a Major Difference
Each Thursday people travel to the health post in Las Salinas for the express purpose of receiving a free ultrasound exam that they need, but otherwise would have no way of obtaining.
There are many pregnant women; people with pain from kidney stones; or have been referred by doctors hours away. Dr. Domingo Salomón (the doctor in charge of the health post) and Martha Romero (head nurse and our Nicaraguan Staff of this project) prepare to receive all the patients.
They are about to participate in Tele-Medicine, including remote education and diagnostics which assures quality assurance.
How does Tele-Medicine Work?
- Medical personnel capture the image of the patient with a particular machine (Ultrasound, MRI, etc.)
- However, they do not attempt to interpret what they see
- The image is sent through email or an applicable real-time program using the internet
- A qualified Doctor in another location reads it, records the diagnoses, and sends back a report
This amazing method is currently utilized in many urban locations in the USA and all over the world, due to readily available internet access. This is a relatively new and exciting undertaking in rural, impoverished areas, and much needed.
Be a part of this incredible undertaking –YOU can help us SAVE LIVES with your support of this amazing project!
Capturing and sending the images from remote Las Salinas, Tola, is only part of what takes place.
Each week there are dedicated volunteer doctors remotely participating with each case, educating and guiding our Nicaraguan staff. They review each patient with our Nicaraguan medical personnel, teaching them as they arrive at a correct diagnosis. This is incredible global healthcare and remote education in action, accomplished only because of our partnership organizations leading the way.
In the story behind it all / background page, we share about how we came to work with these fantastic organizations:
WINFOCUS, (World Interactive Network Focused on Critical Ultrasound), with the founding organization based in Milan, Italy. WINFOCUS presently has their tele-medicine-ultrasound projects in 50 countries! We are very honored and humbled to be chosen to be a part of this great movement, doing our part in Nicaragua, Central America. Visit our Partner Page to learn more about WINFOCUS.
HFUSU, or Henry Ford Ultrasound University, based in Detroit, Michigan and part of the Henry Ford Health System. HFUSU brought the doctors to our training conference in 2011, which included a doctor from NASA. Please learn more about HFUSU here; and review this great article about MOG and all our great partners, written in the Washington Diplomat.
WINFOCUS and Henry Ford Hospital are linking committed development agents across continents! We have been thrilled to have HFUSU doctors from Houston and Detroit serve as vital volunteer teachers each week.
Saving lives and making a major difference: Pregnant women come from far and wide to receive an ultrasound – and, most receive the assurance that their baby is just fine. At times, however, we have identified conditions that have been acted on and saved the baby’s life. All these ladies were waiting for an ultrasound when we took our machine for a day to Rivas.
LEARN MORE! Please visit Tele-Medicine comes to MOG/Nicaragua to learn about the Training Conference and Installation of the Project that took place in July, 2011.
We can travel and reach out! Here are just a few examples:
- The machine is portable, so is able to travel with the Nicaraguan team to remote locations to hold clinics.
- We have utilized this project with our MOG remote medical clinics. traveling remote to Las Canas and La Cucula
- The ultrasound machine is utilized for cardiac patients in the Rivas hospital once a week, traveling over two hours and giving opportunities to impoverished heart patients to receive exams and care.
- The Cardiac doctor there is so very dedicated and grateful for this opportunity to utilize our ultrasound machine.
- The doctor sees at least ten heart patients every week.
- There was a 12 year old girl with Downs Syndrome who had heart problems and was helped just a few months ago.
Words cannot express the gratitude MOG feels towards WINFOCUS and HFUSU for their contributions! Thank God for these organizations and our faithful supporters who make this possible.
Partner with Missions of Grace – With Your Help (and HIS)… We can Accomplish Great Things!
Select the fund or funds of your choice HERE. Such as: General Fund, Phase Two Ultrasound, STRANDS, or if you have a definite donation in mind, please contact us. And, please consider a recurring monthly pledge!
Watch for testimonials, to be posted soon, and truly see your donations in action!