Bijagual

  • Overview
  • Medical
  • Dental
  • Water
  • Business
  • Public Health

Overview

Bijagual is located in the province of Coclé, in the western part of Panama. A typical house in this community is made of cement blocks or zinc sheets. Bijagual has a school that offers kindergarten to 9th grade. Most of the community members work in agriculture, farming rice. The nearest health center is 15 minutes away walking. Bijagual has a turbine aqueduct that functions well. The top needs expressed by the community were improvements to healthcare, roads, and security.

District: Antón
Province: Coclé

Homes : 90
Population : 800
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with Latrines : 20%
Education : Up to 6th grade
Distance from lodging facility : 1 hr

Medical

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

HEALTH CARE ACCESS

Even though Panama is a country with a lot of economic growth, this growth does not apply equally to all Panamanians, especially those in rural areas. This results in stark inequality when it comes to healthcare access. The Panamanian Ministry of Health (MINSA) provides two different types of health facilities throughout rural Panama: Centros de Salud and Puestos de Salud. Centros are the larger of the two, often found in municipalities, and typically have at least one physician on staff at all times with nurses and potentially a dentist. Puestos are found sporadically in rural communities and generally have a single nurse available. 

Even with this coverage, the Centros frequently lack a full pharmacy and the staff capacity to see every patient each day. After walking long distances or paying for a bus, rural visitors to the Centros can expect long wait times given the limited staff and resources to meet the demand from all neighboring communities. The physician density in Panama remains around 630 people for every one doctor. According to the World Health Organization, there should be a maximum of 435 people per physician to qualify a country as having adequate access to medical attention.

Bijagual does not have any health facilities. The closest Centro de Salud to Bijagual is in the town of Antón. The 3 most prevalent illnesses the Bijagual as identified by community members are asthma, colds, and conjunctivitis.

62

Volunteers

191

Patient Consultations

38

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

 

A group of CHWs from East Panama, trained in 2019

The community of Bijagual does not yet have Community Health Workers. Global Brigades Panama Medical Program is working diligently to train volunteers as CHWs in its partner communities as part of the Holistic Model. Bijagual will receive training as soon as possible to further support the health of its community members.

Community Health Workers, or Agentes Comunitarios en Salud (ACeS), work on a volunteer basis as advocates for healthcare within their communities. Their primary responsibilities include: educating community members to prevent common illnesses, providing emergency first aid, supporting pregnant mothers and newborns, and following up with chronic patients. The presence of these volunteers and their advocacy for health within their community contributes to the sustainability of healthcare supported by Global Brigades’ Medical Program and is one of the most impactful disease prevention strategies in rural communities.

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Bijagual’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Each day of the brigade, an average of 4 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 161

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN BIJAGUAL

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
University of Texas El Paso & Whittier College Medical Brigade June 2019 30 Virginia Tech Medical Jan 2020 32

Dental

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

DENTAL CARE ACCESS

Working closely with the Medical Program, the Dental Program provides fillings, extractions, and fluoride treatments as a standard part of medical brigades. Most community members do not have regular access to dental care due to the lack of a dentist within a reasonable distance.

111

Dental Patient Consultations

17

Extractions Performed

60

Fluoride Treatments

15

Fillings

A dental charla in Ipeti Emberá, Panama

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Bijagual’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Each day of the brigade, an average of 4 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 161

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN BIJAGUAL

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
University of Texas El Paso & Whittier College Medical Brigade June 2019 30 Virginia Tech University Jan 2020 32

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Bijagual but has not yet begun with the Water Program. Now in the planning phase, the financing, delivery, and installation of a water system infrastructure, or repairs to existing infrastructure will start as soon as feasible.

 

Water System : Yes
System Type : Turbine aqueduct
Homes connected to water : 100%
Water Council : No

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Bijagual but has not yet begun with the Business Program. In the planning phase, local staff is working with community members to assess the economic needs of the community, establish a community bank, and identify micro-enterprises that can benefit from on-brigade consultations.

Community Bank : No
Community Bank Members : N/A
Economic Activities : Tourism, technicians
Existing Microenterprises : N/A

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

 

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Bijagual but has not yet begun with the Public Health Program. Now in the planning phase, the financing, delivery, and installation of household health infrastructure products will start as soon as feasible. 

Homes with flushing toilets : 20%
Homes with latrines : 100%
Homes with baths/showers : N/A
Common house materials : Concrete blocks

Local Reference Points

View the map to see the closest volunteer lodging facilities, hospitals, and other relevant points of reference.

  • Feature