These three nursing students are all serving in different health clinics in Chanchamayo, a popular coffee-growing region directly east of Lima that is reached by a road that climbs from Lima (in the desert at sea level), up over the Andes, through a snowy mountain pass at 16,000 feet, and then back down the Amazon side of the mountains into the steamy, verdant jungle. The towns where these students work, San Ramon and Perene, are known as being in the “eyebrow of the jungle,” an intermediate zone between the Andes mountains and the flat Amazon basin.
Jordan lives in San Ramon but works in a small public health clinic in the rural community of Naranjal near San Ramon. Because of the clinic’s semi-remote location, the government is hard-pressed to staff the clinic, which means they are often short-handed. Jordan has been able to offer a helping hand with basic nursing skills and other tasks around the clinic. Today, she got to vaccinate an SST leader for the first time.
Meredith both lives and works in San Ramon. The private clinic where she works offers 24-hour attention, a wide range of medical tests, and occupational medical services for several local businesses. This has allowed Meredith the chance to learn and practice a wider range of different medical tests than what are offered at small health posts.
Cassie lives in Perene, about an hour from San Ramon, but works in the public health post in the nearby small community of Marankiari Abajo. The physician and some of the other staff at the clinic are shared and rotated to other local public health facilities, so Cassie’s help often helps relieve long wait times when few staff are present at the clinic. Cassie’s host mother is Ashaninka, an indigenous group with several communities in Chanchamayo. Students Caleb and Christy live in a nearby Ashaninka community that includes relatives of Cassie’s mother.
Pat Lehman shows how to ride in the mototaxis used for local transportation in Chanchamayo. As one of the SST leaders next year, she was visiting Peru and accompanying Maria and Doug during some of the service visits.Jordan stands in the gateway to the Naranjal health post.Jordan works in the clinic with Liliana, the doctor, and Jonathan, the nurse.Liliana explains how Jordan helps with the vaccinations, recording growth measurements of children, giving pain injections, and record-keeping. She suggests that Jordan could give Doug his yellow fever vaccination.Jordan, sticking it to the man.Jordan is pleased she got to jab a professor with a sharp object and get away with it; Doug is proud he was a big boy and didn’t cry.The clinic’s 3-wheel truck is used both for errands and as an ambulance.At Jordan’s home we found her busy helping her sister with an English assignment.The poster for the homework assignment.After supper Jordan’s mom served us the most delicious coffee we’ve had in Peru.From left: Antuane, Consuelo (mom) and Rodrigo.Meredith, in front of her home in San Ramon.Meredith with her mom, Jenny, and sister, Lucila. At far left is Joy, a friend of Pat who joined us on the visit.Meredith’s little brother, Carlitos, came out of hiding for the picture.Meredith in front of the Clinica Elera, were she works.With Dr. Elera, the owner of the clinic.Meredith will take the blood pressure and temperature of this client who came for occupational medical testing.In this room Meredith gives eye exams and electrocardiograms.Administering an IV solution (photo supplied by Meredith).Making a spirometry measurement (photo from Meredith).Cassie works at the Marankiari public health post.When Doug arrived several patients were in the waiting room. Only a nurse technician and Cassie were present at the clinic.Cassie searches for a baby’s vaccination records to help Liliana, a nurse technician.Cassie checks a patient’s insurance card with the computer and then retrieves his medical records.Taking a blood pressure reading in the waiting room.Cassie points to a blood smear she prepared to detect if a patient may have dengue and need further blood exams for confirmation.This wall map indicates homes of people with dengue this year. Since they are clustered in a narrow area, the health staff took Cassie along on a tour through the area to put insecticide in standing water where mosquitoes can breed.Lunch at Cassie’s home included chicken, rice, potatoes, and carrots. Clockwise from Cassie are Jazmin, Sasha, Mijael, Carmen (mom), Jalid, and Adrian.The host father often catches these fish, carachamas, in the river behind the house. They are used to make a fish soup.Cassie at the back door to her home, facing the river.From the home’s back door Cassie has a beautiful view of the river and jungle.Cassie is wearing a cushma, the traditional dress of the Ashanika people.
