Santiago de Chuco Mission
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This is the story of the Perez family, whose small deed led to grand intentions and even grander deeds. In July of 2008, Dr. Santiago Calderon Perez, an Infectious Diseases specialist in Florida, and Dr. Pablo Perez, an Internist in Georgia, took a vacation to their hometown of Santiago de Chuco for the annual festival celebrating its’ founding in the 1500’s. They also brought donated medicines to the local hospital, and were confronted with desperate patient and facility needs. They determined to provide assistance as best they could, and upon returning from their vacation, set about planning a medical mission.
With the administrative skills of Miriam Lemon, Dr. Perez’s manager, they gathered about them 33 volunteers for their first medical mission in July of 2009. After flights from the States and Lima, the team rode a chartered bus for six hours from the coastal city of Trujillo up into the Andes, and prepared to deliver a week of free care. The team included Dr. Stropniky, a gynecologist, Dr. Perez, an internist, Dr. Rodriguez, a surgeon, Dr. Calderon, an infectious disease specialist, Dr. Salas, dedicated to pediatrics, Ms. Espiritu, a pharmacist, nurse assistants, a few college students, relatives and friends. Classes on personal hygiene were offered, patients were seen, and medicines, vitamins, and wheelchairs were dispensed. Some hernias were repaired and a sixth finger was removed from a young boy.
Drs. Calderon and Perez are very grateful for the many relatives and friends who volunteered time and talent to provide much needed medical and preventative healthcare to the people in their hometown. Their dream is to continue the medical mission and expand their outreach to the education and nutrition of the very poor children.
2010
During the Mission in July 2010, Dr. Juan Mantilla, the hospital administrator and medical director, provided space for the team and they saw more than 1,200 men, women and children. Hernias were repaired, gallbladders were removed and the local ophthalmologist, Dr. A. Burga, joined the team to remove cataracts. Dr. M. Vasquez, a cardiologist who practices in northern California, taught CPR and provided consultation. D. Roisman, ARNP in pediatrics from California, joined Dr. Salas in his efforts.
In addition to medications, crutches and 44 wheelchairs they managed to bring a donated ambulance from Whitfield County, Georgia. During visits since then, Dr. Calderon reports seeing the ambulance making frequent trips between Santiago de Chuco and Trujillo, the closest major medical facility.
