Majara

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

Overview

Majara is located in the province of West Panama. A typical house in this community is made of cement blocks. Majara has a primary school that offers kindergarten to 6th grade. To attend middle school and high school, children must travel to El Lidice, which is 60 minutes away walking or 15 minutes by bus. The primary occupations in Majara are agriculture and unskilled labor. There is no health center in the community; the closest health center is in the community of El Lidice. Majara has a functioning water system, but in the dry season the wells often dry up and water must be rationed. The top needs expressed by the community were improvements to the main road, improvements to the water system, and better access to healthcare.

District: Capira
Province: West Panama

Homes : 200
Population : 600
Water System : Yes
Community Bank : No
Electricity : Yes
Health Center : No
Community Health Workers : No
Homes with improved sanitation facilities : 100%
Education : Up to 6th grade
Distance from Panama City : 1.5 hrs

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.

Majara does not have any health facilities in the community, and the nearest Centro de Salud is a short bus ride away in the town of Lidice. The most prevalent illnesses in Majara, as expressed by community members, are common colds, hypertension, diabetes, and diarrhea.

126

Volunteers

792

Patient Consultations

89

Health Education Workshops

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS

A group of CHWs from East Panama, trained in 2019

The community of Majara 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. Majara 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

Majara school where Medical/Dental Brigades are hosted

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Majara’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Volunteers assist with intake and triage, then shadow local doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. Each day of the brigade, an average of 12 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 219

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN MAJARA

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Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
University of Notre Dame Medical March 2019 32 Carroll University Medical Jan 2020 20
Mississippi State University, North Carolina Chapell Hill & University of Southern California Medical and Dental Brigade March 2022 30 Montclair State University Medical Brigade March 2023 17

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.

557

Dental Patient Consultations

165

Extractions

37

Educational Workshops

275

Fluoride Treatments

BRIGADE INFORMATION

Majara school where Medical/Dental Brigades are hosted

Medical and Dental Brigade clinics are hosted in Majara’s school building. The various stations of the clinic are held in the classrooms. Volunteers assist with intake and triage, then shadow local doctors, dentists, and pharmacists. Each day of the brigade, an average of 12 educational workshops or charlas are facilitated with the clinic’s patients.

  • AVERAGE PATIENTS ATTENDED: 219

MEDICAL/DENTAL VOLUNTEERS IN MAJARA

</tr

Chapter Date Number of Volunteers Chapter Date Number of Volunteers
University of Notre Dame Medical March 2019 32 Carroll University Medical Jan 2020 20
Mississippi State University, North Carolina Chapell Hill & University of Southern California Medical and Dental Brigade March 2022 30

Water

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Majara 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 : Well
Homes connected to water : N/A
Water Council : Yes

Business

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Majara 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 : unskilled labor
Existing microenterprises : 2 small grocery stores

Public Health

Program Status

  • Planning
  • Active
  • Complete

Global Brigades is working on the implementation of the Holistic Model in Majara 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 : 15%
Homes with latrines : 100%
Homes with bath/shower : 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