Healthcare for Pregnant Women in Nicaragua

We're Here for You, Lucia

Every day, Lucia receives a phone call asking her how she's feeling. The calls are made by the medical and nursing team of Clínica Verde in an effort to take care of patients who are showing symptoms of the coronavirus. Lucia lives in a small rural village, where treatments for Covid-19 are more difficult to find, in a country that is already short of supplies to prevent and treat the disease.

Lucía was first identified as a possible Covid-19 patient at Clinica Verde after several laboratory tests and a chest X-ray revealed atypical pneumonia. Since then, each morning she receives a call on her mobile phone to find out how her condition is evolving and her response to treatment. As part of the follow-up, the entire family receives medical attention and educational talks about prevention and care.

"I have felt improvement with medicine and I feel very grateful for all the attention that the clinic nurses have given me," said Lucia. "My family had many doubts about this disease, but their questions were answered  through the talks that the Clinica Verde nurses give us daily.

"In all the health centers that I have attended, no one has ever cared so much about me and my family,"  Lucía said. 

The Clinica Verde team is so grateful to be able to serve Lucia and her family.

Maria Gives Us Heart and Courage

María José Rojas is someone who reminds us that there's always a way to help others. The only thing required is the desire to serve – and personal will.

Two years ago, while she was still a psychology student, Maria came to Clínica Verde to offer her services free of charge. She wanted to help those who did not have enough money to pay for mental health support. It was during the rise of the social crisis that escalated in Nicaragua in 2018, and Maria knew that people were suffering.

"This young woman worked hard to pay for her own studies and is always willing to collaborate and give her hand to those who need it," said María Elizabeth Flores, who runs the nutrition program at Clínica Verde.
"With courage, we can do it together," the young woman often says to her co-workers, who see in her an example of the struggle that many young people in Nicaragua must face to fulfill their dreams of becoming a professional.

According to the Pan American Health Organization, Nicaragua has the highest teen suicide rate in Latin America. Mental health is increasingly recognized as integral to good public health, but continues to lack resources and a global strategy. We are proud to be able to provide vital mental and emotional health services to our rural patients.

Planning a Healthy Pregnancy

Lisseth González came to Clínica Verde in search of help to start a family. She and her partner had tried for several years to conceive a baby, without any success.
 
In 2018, after two years of medical support, the young couple had one hope and their first disappointment: a pregnancy that ended two weeks later due to complications with the mother, whom Clínica Verde accompanied at each stage of this difficult process.
 
It wasn’t until 2020 that González would see her dream materialize. With the constant monitoring of our gynecologist the young mother was able to conceive – and is waiting to meet her son for the first time.
 
Punctual check-ups, ultrasounds, prenatal controls, and vitamins have been provided to the enthusiastic González, who has become part of the Clínica Verde family and whose baby the whole team hopes to meet soon.
 
A healthy pregnancy depends on support, nutrition, and regular check-ups. Clinica Verde is so proud to provide these services to rural moms like Lisseth.

Maria Jose Rojas and Lisseth Gonzalez have given us permission to use their names.

Thank you for helping us improve lives – and stay well.

In Nicaragua, the government continues to deny the magnitude of the pandemic, informing public health care facilities not to use PPE. They consider that personal protection such as masks may promote fear in the population during a time when they want to communicate that everything is “normal.”

Clinica Verde has always been a place of quality and good health services for the poor. Now more than ever, Clinica Verde continues to be that special place for our users.

It’s people like Dr. Huete who make Clinica Verde so special.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dr. Huete has asserted that her mission in life is to provide health care to those who need it, and now more than ever her mission is needed. Dr. Huete has a genuine concern for seniors and patients with chronic disease who are afraid of the risk of Covid-19 knowing that they are especially vulnerable. She has kept a backup cache of medication to provide complete treatment to patients who cannot afford it.

Dr. Huete is also concerned with taking care of each member of the CV team, giving advice, training, and correcting their use of PPE. She provides the team with a first look at their illnesses. She also has helped to develop and practice the COVID guide created for Clinica Verde, an essential step during the pandemic.

Each possible COVID-19 case has been served by Dr. Huete with the compassion and professionalism that are central to her character. It is a blessing for our patients who feel orphaned by the Nicaraguan health system.

Dr. Huete’s attitude during the pandemic has been one of exemplary leadership. She is a strong person with determination, wise, and compassionate not only with her patients but also with her workmates.

As executive director of CV, I thank Dr. Huete for this extraordinary service provided in the time of the pandemic.

Thank YOU for helping us improve lives – and stay well.

As always, we have the permission to include names of any subjects included in our stories.