News

Dr. John Wang was invited to go to Peru in 2006 by a professor at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, to assess the medical situation in Central Peru. He visited many of the medical clinics in the Huarmey region, Ancash Province, in Central Peru.

There are about 40 medical clinics in Ancash Province, many extending up to 16000 feet, high up in the Andean sierras. Most are in remote areas that have no electric power; many have no running water, and none have even a microscope. All these clinics are staffed by a nurse or a nurse assistant, and a doctor would typically make a visit to the clinics only 2-3 times a year. In essence, medical treatment, such as exists, is left to the discretion of nurses or nurse assistants, who have limited medical training, essentially no medical equipment, and work with very limited facilities.

The medical situation in Central Peru is serious, and there is only a small window of opportunity to correct it before a “perfect storm” of circumstances coalesces into an unmanageable crisis. The infant mortality rate in Peru is the highest in South America, worm infestation is universal among children, and presumably, among much of the adult population; resistant strains of malaria and tuberculosis are commonly seen, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic is beginning to take hold in all the larger cities of Peru and the other countries in South America. (CIA report, 2002)

In a word, the medical situation in Central Peru is DIRE, but there are several very basic needs and gaps that we hope to address in this project. While many approaches have been tried, we feel that none have addressed the specific deficiency of an accurate diagnostic capability, which we know is fundamental to all effective treatment.

The people in the mountain villages of Peru are living in the closest thing to hell that I’ve ever seen,” says John W Wang. They have no electricity or running water, harsh weather, and no waste disposal systems.”

Wang first learned about such abject poverty when he answered a simple request from a local professor of Mechanical Engineering at the school of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. For more than 8 years, the University has sent teams to Ancash Province, an impoverished area located some 300 miles north of Lima, the capital. Wang was asked to evaluate the medical situation in Ancash Province in Peru. “With my experience as a medical doctor, I decided to do it,” recalls Wang.

“Once I saw how horrific the problems were, it was impossible for me to turn my head,” he says. That trip was in May 2006. Since then, Wang has made one other journey to the remote villages in the mountains of Peru.

Wang saw tropical diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, a host of skin infections, respiratory problems, and worm infestations, all of which are ubiquitous health issues.

With a need so great, Wang knew he’d have to come back often. He returned again before realizing this required a more organized financial effort. .

We are looking to raise $100,000 in contributions in addition to the $50,000 in equipment already donated. “Our mission is to save lives, many of the children go on to die, and a good percentage of all deaths in Peru are of children under the age of 10 years, sadly because of lack of proper equipment to accurately diagnose. Our plan is slated to run for 3 years, and success will be measured in terms of improving mortality statistics. We can make a difference and we can change people’s worlds! It is with your help that we are able to carry out our mission! Thank you for supporting PCF and bringing hope to Peru.