Amanecer Mobile Health Clinic

Established in 2007, the Amanecer Mobile Health Clinic (AMHC) was created to provide health care in communities where there was virtually no access to health care. The AMHC was the dream of Rev. William Taylor of the Portsmouth, RI UMC. He was soon joined by a former parishioner, Richard Rinker, who had experience in the health care industry. As members of the Nicaragua Planning Committee, they wanted to be able to provide people living in isolated areas of Nicaragua with medical and dental care, as well as teach them about the importance of hand-washing and the storage and drinking of clean water. They wanted the people to learn about the importance of dental hygiene and other preventative health care measures that would have a major impact on their daily life.

In April 2007 this mobile health ministry began operating in seventy-two communities four times each year. Some of these communities are members of the Churches of Christ (AICN), some are connected to the Evangelical Methodist Church, and some are independent non-denominational communities. With Capital Campaign money we were able to purchase a vehicle which is used to transport the medicines and Health Teams to the areas of Nicaragua served by the mobile clinic.

The Health Teams consist of a doctor; a dentist; and a coordinator who drives, delivers health talks, and dispenses medication. There are currently two teams: one team traveling long-distance to the Nueva Segovia; Matagalpa; and Bluefields, RAAS areas; the other team visiting local communities. Operating six days per week, the doctors see an average of 90-100 patients daily, and the dentists care for approximately 20 people per day. The medical and dental care is absolutely FREE.

We have discovered that there are many health care needs, but the primary illnesses treated by the AMHC team are parasites, urinary tract infections, respiratory illnesses, diarrhea and anemia. Medicines to treat individuals are purchased primarily with Nicaragua Covenant donations and some are acquired through donations from our health partners at Christian Aid Ministries of the Mennonite Church and the American Nicaraguan Foundation.

Case Study: Carlos Herrera

Carlos Herrera's village of El Carmen is a very rural community lacking access to adequate healthcare.

On one of the Mobile Health Clinic visits to El Carmen, a community located in the San Juan de Rio Coco region outside of Managua, the health team met a 12-year-old boy named Carlos Herrera. He had acute dermatitis covering his entire body. The young boy was unable to sleep because his skin itched and was infected. His mother brought him to see the doctor hoping she would be able to do something for Carlos. The doctor was able to provide him with the proper medications as well as advice on how to keep a clean living environment so his dermatitis could heal.

El Carmen is a very rural community lacking any sort of transportation. Consequently, they have no access to healthcare facilities more than a day's walk away. Lack of a living wage categorizes this community as extremely impoverished by the World Health Organization, as these people live on less than 50 cents a day and desperately need the health care services that the New England Conference’s AMHC provides.

It costs only $1.88 per person for gas, medicines, and salaries to provide basic curative medical and dental care. A donation of $102 will provide care for 54 people; $500 helps 266 people in Nicaragua.