Devastation in El Salvador

I am writing from Suchitoto, a small town in the north east region of El Salvador. I am here as part of Basic Health International's clinical delegation; our mission is to screen and treat El Salvdoran women for pre-cancerous lesions and educate local health care professionals about identifying these lesions using VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid). Previous delegations have screened and treated up to 900 women in five days.

Unfortunately, our mission has been put to an indefinite halt as the country has just been declared to be in a national state of emergency. Residual effects of Hurricane Ida have devastated many regions of El Salvador causing massive flooding, mudslides, and deaths. Although Suchitoto has not been affected, the devastation was evident as we drove from San Salvador to our present location yesterday afternoon.

Last night we had dinner with the mayor who shed further light on the current situation. Currently, our delegation leaders are meeting with the minister of health and hospital officials to determine if we will be able to continue our mission, and if so, to what capacity. The two primary concerns are first, that women will not be able to reach our clinic as many roads have been blocked by debris, and second, that health care professionals across the country have been summoned to area hospitals and thus can not receive the training in VIA and cryotherapy. Although education is a major component of this mission, screening and treating women is of utmost priority which means we will still carry out our commitment to these women, providing we are not requested to help out with the current situation. Our group has offered to government officials that we suspend our mission in effort to help with the effects of the flood in any way that we can- this will be decided within the next few hours.

I have been moved by the little time I have spent here. The clinicians I have interacted with are incredible. El Salvadorans are lovely, and the children here are remarkably confident with their cheek to cheek grins when acknowledging our presence.

As I learn more about Basic Health, I am increasingly humbled to be affiliated with such an accomplished non profit organization. Basic Health is the first and only to successfully enter a country and 1. implement its lobbied suggestions for methods of standard practice (as it pertains to women's health) , 2. see that said changes become standards of medical school education, and 3. provide follow-up healthcare to our patients of which includes research to determine the effectiveness of these methods.

I recognize the safety concerns that comprise many central american countries. El Salvador is meant to be particularly marked by crimes which reflect that stark contrast between the wealthy and the poor- kidnappings are particularly prevalent. Extra precautions to protect the group have been made and we have two armed body guards with us at all times.