Yesterday, I got to go to MINSA(Ministerio de Salud) Central in Managua. A director of one of the divisions gave us an overview of how the current health system works.
The current health model started in 2007, when Ortega came (back) into office. The system focuses on prevention, which I find very impressive. So, there is MINSA, which then has a division in each department called SILAIS. SILAIS then coordinates all the health centers(which are also divided into the small health posts). In addition to these health centers-which offer services like vaccines, consultations, prescribe meds, minor treatment, and are also places women dan la luz- there is a system that goes out into the campo to people´s houses to check on them, because a lot of these people can´t even afford the transportation to go to the Centro de Salud. There are also different health groups like health promotors, brigadistas, and Casas Maternas.
Brigadistas are volunteers, of all ages, that help in health promotion. For example, during Spanish class this week at Lauren´s house, some brigadistas stopped by to abatizar the water- put these abate tablets, which kill off larva of the mosquitoes that kill Dengue(which is a huge disease here, bigger than Malaria. Dengue mosq like clean water, Malaria mosq like dirty water. Dengue mosq bite during the day, Malaria mosq at night. Hence, Denque is harder to prevent). They also perforate any topless plastic bottles sitting outside so water doesn´t collect there(hello breeding grounds).
The Casas Maternas are places where women go about 2 weeks before they are supposed to give birth. It´s to make sure the women have conventional births, in clean, safe environments. Child and maternal mortality is really high here, so Casas Maternas seek to help this.
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