2023-05-04 16:30:00
El Cruce has historically been a town that is called a “border crossing” because of its proximity to the Colombian border, about 20 minutes by car. In total, the clinic covers a population of 14,000 people who live in communities such as Campo Rosario, San Benito, Caño Grande and Guaicaipuro. There, there are also some indigenous ethnic groups such as Bari and Wayuu, who frequently use this health center.
The armed violence in the sector has affected the population, the health personnel and the hospital infrastructure, which makes it difficult for the normal development of activities, because the health personnel feel insecure, with greater pressure and in some cases, the population cannot access health services, this situation is aggravated by the absence of basic services such as water and electricity, which on many occasions has prevented health personnel from caring for patients who arrived at the doors of the clinic in search of relief.
In areas affected by armed violence, health services play a key role in providing neutral, timely, and effective assistance to the injured and patients as a result of these situations. The ICRC works to respond to the most urgent needs of the population in various areas and also promotes, through its dialogue with authorities and bearers of weapons, the protection of these and other essential services, so that the people who require them can access without limitations and so that the staff can carry out their work in an impartial manner and adhere to medical ethics.
Dr. Jennire Mercado is the director of the outpatient clinic and is in charge every day, willing to help those who need it. For her, the work carried out by the ICRC has been very supportive. “We were left in the dark when the power went out for 24, up to 48 hours, because we didn’t have a power plant,” she says.
Ángel Pulgar, a member of the Guaicaipuro indigenous community, explained that on several occasions he had to go to health centers in Cacigua (about four hours away) because there was no electricity in El Cruce. This transfer implied for them greater economic expenses and a high risk of personal security and in emergency situations, a delay in the required health care.
The start of the project. In 2021, after evaluations with the health authorities of the municipality and guidance from the staff, it was proposed to install solar panels on the roof of the ambulatory to obtain energy and thus guarantee the continuous operation of this health center. At the end of 2022, the panels were already a reality and could receive the continuous solar radiation typical of this region.
More than 1,700 kilometers from El Cruce, at the other end of the country, is the community of El Chocó, Bolívar state. There, armed violence has also affected access to health and the work of the staff in the clinic in the area. This, although it is relatively small, alleviates the needs of 250 people who come to it. In Bolívar, the project began in September 2022 and has served to ensure that the delivery room and other areas have constant light.
Dr. Yusleidy Jiménez, in charge of the health center, indicates that now she and her team feel more able to help people in need, because they have electricity so that the medical equipment always works.
Obtaining energy from natural sources is innovative, not only for these communities, but also for the ICRC in Venezuela. This responds to the interest in developing projects that are aware of the planet, climate change and that represent a sustainable solution for communities affected by armed violence.
This type of solar panels has many advantages, such as improving working conditions for staff, as well as guaranteeing medical care in a place close to the community where patients can go in case of any emergency, which in turn reduces transportation costs and, above all, security risks.
The project -in both places- included training for the personnel on the operation and maintenance of the panels. Yanis Olivieri, maintenance manager at the El Cruce health clinic, says that, after the training, it has been easy for him, that he goes up to the roof once or twice a day to carefully clean the panels, but that the system works by itself and the worry that the light will go out has disappeared.
“Those panels completely changed the comfort of the clinic and the community,” says Raida Fernandez, a community leader in El Cruce who always helps people in need get to the clinic. For his part, Mr. Angel emphasizes that for them respecting the land is very important. That is why this project is special, because it means “working in order to take care of mother nature and take advantage of clean energy resources without polluting”.
In El Chocó, Yusleidys mentions that “the community is very happy with all the work and that since the solar panels were installed, they have been able to attend to all the patients who arrive at the clinic.” Solar panels are -literally- a light for patients.
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