Guatemala
Primary Healthcare Clinic Model
Chapters provide primary health care service to small, under resources, rural communities with limited to no access to medical care. Physicians provide patient consults and prescribe treatment for acute illnesses. Volunteers work in triage, shadow physicians, provide education workshops, and help to distribute medicine in the pharmacy.
Scarce health infrastructure (including lack of health professionals, medicines, and technology), economic and geographical barriers, and weak intercultural understanding all make it difficult for indigenous and rural populations to gain access to health care services. For these reasons, the Medical Brigades program is working to close the health inequality gap in partner communities.
Medical Brigade –
7 Day Sample Schedule
To develop an understanding of community needs and healthcare access, volunteers will be provided with introductions to Global Brigades’ Holistic Model and the medical program. They will then prepare all education material and medication needed for the clinic days. For the majority of the Brigade, volunteers will then work with healthcare professionals during mobile medical clinics, providing assistance to hundreds of community members. At the end of the Brigade, volunteers will have a chance to support medication inventory and ensure all data from the clinic days are inputted into the OpenMRS system
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | ||
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility | Free Time | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Transport to Community | Free Time | Breakfast |
| 9:00am | In-Country Orientation & Brigade Preparation | Clinic Day | Clinic Day | Clinic Day | Cultural Activity | Depart for Airport | |
| 10:00am | |||||||
| 11:00pm | |||||||
| 12:00pm | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | ||
| 1:00pm | Adult & Kids Charla Materials Preparation | Clinic Day | Clinic Day | Clinic Day | Final Supplies Inventory / Final Reflection | ||
| 2:00pm | |||||||
| 3:00pm | Settle In | ||||||
| 4:00pm | Introduction to Global Brigades | Free Time | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Transport to Lodging Facility | Free Time | |
| 5:00pm | Free Time | Free Time | Free Time | ||||
| 6:00pm | Free Time | Medical Spanish Packet Practice | |||||
| 7:00pm | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | |
| 8:00pm | Holistic Model Overview | Medical Program Introduction | Kaqchikel Class | Healthcare System in Guatemala | PA Talk | Cultural Activity / Bonfire |
| Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | |
| 8:00am | Airport Pick up and Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 9:00am | |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | Settle In |
| 4:00pm | Introduction to Global Brigades |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | Free Time |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Holistic Model Overview |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | In-Country Orientation & Brigade Preparation |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Adult & Kids Charla Materials Preparation |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Free Time |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | Medical Spanish Packet Practice |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Medical Program Introduction |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Clinic Day |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Clinic Day |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Kaqchikel Class |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Clinic Day |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Clinic Day |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Healthcare System in Guatemala |
| Day 5 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Clinic Day |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Clinic Day |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Transport to Lodging Facility |
| 5:00pm | Free Time |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | PA Talk |
| Day 6 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | Breakfast |
| 8:00am | Transport to Community |
| 9:00am | Cultural Activity |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:00pm | Final Supplies Inventory / Final Reflection |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | Free Time |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | Dinner |
| 8:00pm | Cultural Activity / Bonfire |
| Day 7 | |
|---|---|
| 7:00am | |
| 8:00am | Breakfast |
| 9:00am | Depart for Airport |
| 10:00am | |
| 11:00am | |
| 12:00pm | |
| 1:00pm | |
| 2:00pm | |
| 3:00pm | |
| 4:00pm | |
| 5:00pm | |
| 6:00pm | |
| 7:00pm | |
| 8:00pm | |
*Itinerary subject to change
Volunteer Donation Goal
In order to participate in a Medical Brigade, all volunteers must meet a Donation Goal, this is not considered a payment, but support toward our Global Brigades’ Holistic Model. Once a volunteer meets a set Donation Goal, they are eligible to join us on-the-ground to see their fundraising efforts put into action by participating in a Medical Brigade.
When a volunteer participates in a Medical Brigade, the volunteer’s ground transportation, food, lodging, and emergency insurance are all covered. The funding that the volunteer raised also supports all the necessary costs for program implementation, such as equipment, local doctors, pharmacists, translators, and support staff.
Airfare is not included in the standard Donation Goal. However, Global Brigades’ travel team can work with volunteers to book airfare and incorporate the airfare expense into the volunteer’s Donation Goal.
2022-2023 Guatemala 7-day Medical Brigade USD –
2022-2023 Guatemala 7-day Medical Brigade CAD –
*Chapters with 5-17 volunteers, must be paired with another chapter.
Donation Goal Details
The donation goals listed are for volunteers joining an existing Global Medical Brigades (GMB) Chapter on a university campus, with a brigade group size of at least 18 volunteers. Scholarship opportunities are available for volunteers to meet their Donation Goal by starting or referring a new chapter. Once a volunteer meets their Donation Goal, they have up to 1 year to participate in a Medical Brigade.
Safety
Volunteer safety will always be our absolute top priority. Global Brigades recently engaged Askari International Security, an industry leader in international risk assessment, to complete a comprehensive risk/safety assessment of all brigade operations. A full explanation of safety precautions and procedures can be found on our “Safety & Insurance” page.
A Quote from Askari International Security
“I was asked to review Global Brigades safety and security procedures for their operations in Central America. I always use a “litmus test” by assessing whether I’d be happy to send my own daughters (late teens early 20’s) on one of their events. The answer was a resounding yes. I hope I was able to help them improve their processes and procedures, but what was already in place was good, but better still was the culture of safety and security. All the staff were concerned with safety and security and keen to improve. Nothing can ever be 100% secure or safe, but with Global Brigades I can genuinely say they care and take things very seriously.”
– Bryan Hemmings, Managing Director, Askari International Security
Safety Highlights in Guatemala
- Global Brigades is in contact with OSAC (the Overseas Security Advisory Committee) to receive up-to-date security and safety briefings from the U.S. State Department;
- Established relationships with local community authorities to gain trust and access into communities;
- Established relationships with local police in the Tecpan Region to provide monitoring of volunteer activity in country;
- Full-time local Global Brigades medical personnel on-call at all times.
Lodging Facilities
Global Brigades does an annual safety review of all lodging facility partners each year. Lodging facilities provide pillows, bedsheets and towels. Facilities have showers, toilets and sinks with running water (no hot water) as well as filtered clean drinking water dispensers onsite. Conditions are most similar to a comfortable summer camp, with dormitory-style sleeping and shared bathrooms.
Medical Brigades are assigned to lodging facilities based on proximity to the partner community they will be working with.
Centro de Capacitación Maya Uleu
The Centro de Capacitación Maya Uleu lodging facility is located approximately 2 hours northwest of Guatemala City. Here, brigaders enjoy a beautiful view of a landscape full of lush greenery and distant mountains.
Centro de Retiros Jireh
The Centro de Retiros Jireh lodging facility is located in the city of Chimaltenango, approximately 2 hours northwest of Guatemala City. The facility includes a dining area, outdoor patio, and swimming pool.
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This DONATION is non-refundable
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