Support Healing Hearts Guatemala

Imagine taking your sick child to the hospital, only to be told that they cannot treat him unless you buy all the necessary supplies and medicines. This is happening all over Guatemala right now as the national healthcare system is failing. 

The public hospitals are often the only option for poor families in this country, as private sanitoriums cost far more than they can afford. However, the public hospitals are running out of everything, from food and medicine to basic supplies. This means that anyone seeking treatment is asked to bring in their own medical supplies. Even women in need of emergency C-sections have to send family members to find the gauze, syringes and other necessary items for their surgery and, while they wait, the woman lie on gurneys in the hospital hallways. 

Families often have to borrow money just to buy gloves and syringes for their family member's procedures and those who need life saving medicines can't always get them. The end result? People are dying because of lack of medical care.

The doctors are desperate to help their patients, but are often at a loss for what to do. While we're hoping that the new president will turn things around, we're working on providing some of the necessary items to local public hospitals. 

Here's what is most needed, according to the Chief of Pediatrics in Hospital Nacional Pedro de Bethancourt in San Felipe de Jesus, just outside of Antigua, Guatemala.

- Gloves
- Syringes
- Suturing supplies
- IV supplies
- Towels
- Diapers
- Hospital gowns

You can learn more about Healing Hearts and what we do at http://healingheartsguatemala.com.