SUPPORT OUR ONGOING PROJECTS
PURCHASE OF A NEW AUTOCLAVE STERILIZER
Autoclave sterilizer machines are used to sterilize medical instruments and materials used in everyday surgeries, procedures and patient services. These machines are essential to the functionality of every hospital. The San Gabriel Hospitals sterilization machine has been in use for about 30 years and is now failing to function properly. This represents a hazard for the hygiene of the hospital, but it is also a risk for the sustainability of the hospital. Without this machine the hospital can’t function.
Benefit for the community: A new sterilization machine will make sure that the patients get medical services with the proper hygiene standards.
The budget for this projects is of about 37,000 Euros.
RENOVATING THE BUILDING’S FAÇADE
The hospital has funneled its resources primarily to expand the range of medical services it offers and to renew its medical equipment. Therefore, less urgent but necessary work, such as the renovation of the hospital’s façade, could not be financed. However, in its latest inspection it was observed that rust was building on the windows. This creates a risk for the hygiene of the hospital, making a renovation indispensable. We believe that an improvement of the façade will not only solve the rust problems but it will also reflect more properly the quality of the medical services the hospital offers. This in turn will hopefully attract new customers. This is a further step in helping the hospital become self-sustained.
Benefit for the community: With a new façade, the hospital will insure the hygienic standards required for a hospital.
The budget for this project if of about 23,000 Euros.
3 DEFIBRILLATORS WITH HEART MONITORS
A defibrillator is used to treat sudden cardiac arrest. Without an immediate treatment and the help of this device the chances of someone surviving a heart failure are very slim. At the moment, the San Gabriel Hospital only has one defibrillator with its corresponding heart monitor. When there is an emergency, the devices must be carried to the room where they are needed. Being a three-floored building with around 70 beds precious time is lost by transporting this equipment. During the wait, the patient can only be helped with manual cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), reducing his/her chance of survival. To improve this condition, we want to purchase 3 defibrillators with corresponding heart monitors to have one device on each floor and to be able to reach patients faster in case of emergency.
Benefit for the community: With at least one defibrillator per floor the hospital will be able to provide the necessary treatment to patients in critical conditions without delay, thus improving their chances of survival.
The budget for this projects is of about 15,000 Euros.
ACCOMPLISHED PROJECTS
ELEVATOR
Between 2012 and 2013 the San Gabriel Foundation provided the hospital with the necessary funds to build an elevator connecting the hospital’s three floors. Until that time all patients had to be carried on a stretcher from floor to floor, which was especially dangerous when the patient had an IV or was intubated. The project was co-financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and with about 50,000 Euros the funding represents the largest project to date. Now the hospital has an elevator, which has increased the quality of the hospital’s service.
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FOR C-SECTION
With the aim of becoming financially sustainable, the San Gabriel Hospital has been working to become one of the health institutions covered by the government’s insurance policy. To prepare for the demand resulting from this new contract, the hospital asked for support for the purchase of new medical equipment for C-sections. About 6,880 Euros were invested in this project.
ANESTHESIA MACHINE
In 2014, the foundation supported the purchase of an anesthesia machine for the hospital’s 3rd operating room. The purchase was worth around 21,000 Euros that were collected from donations. Now the hospital can perform more complex procedures in all three operating rooms it has available creating more supply for patients in need of surgery.
PHOTOS OF THE SAN GABRIEL HOSPITAL
The photos in our gallery are a clear testament to the impact we have on the San Gabriel Hospital and the communities it serves. Each picture serves to remind us of our goals for a transformation of the access to health care in La Paz, Bolivia. Browse through our gallery now.
