LIG Global Foundation is proud to work side-by-side with local healthcare providers throughout the Cajamarca region of Peru at Hospital Regional Docente de Cajamarca to provide top quality healthcare to individuals from throughout the surrounding area. By training providers in the latest techniques and technologies, together we tackle issues surrounding complex surgeries and women’s healthcare. From medical education to general healthcare, LIG is committed to ensuring the community members are able to live up to their full potential.
Historic Cajamarca is located in the western chain of the tropical Andes in northern Peru with an economy based on traditional agriculture, weaving, and livestock. Despite being Peru’s 13th largest city, more than 76% of Cajamarca’s population is below the poverty line. 12% of the population lives in extreme poverty, with an average income of no more than $710 yearly.
Due to its relative isolation, Cajamarca is known for retaining its historic architecture and provincial, local character, including the cheerful, welcoming community, and the iconic Cajamarca Quechua of Peru. The month-long Carnaval de Cajamarca, held every February, highlights the unique community spirit of this remote city.
In this city full of charm, there are many issues that accompany the shocking level of poverty that surrounds the city. Some of the biggest health conditions that negatively affect the people of Cajamarca include:
Coronary heart disease which accounts for 14% of all deaths in Peru
Cervical cancer which is the leading cause of cancer deaths amongst women in Peru
Neonatal disorders which the second leading cause of premature death in Peru
We at LIG Global Foundation are determined to use our skills, knowledge, and experience to reduce the threat of these conditions in Peru.
As issues such as coronary heart disease are highly prevalent in Peru, the need for surgical intervention is often required. At times, patients require the combined efforts of the LIG Global cardiac team and their local providers to account for highly complex cases. Our team collaborates with the local cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons to share knowledge and techniques that positively impact the lives of those unique patients.
Our highly skilled team operates with the local staff to perform surgeries such as:
Open-heart surgeries requiring cardiac bypass
Cardiac catheterizations
Heart valve repairs and replacements
In addition to the medical services we provide in conjunction with the local staff, the LIG Global team has donated various medical supplies for the cardiac unit such as:
Catheters which are used for the cardiac catheterizations
Balloons, stents, and heart valves for replacements and repairs
Heart-lung bypass machine for future bypass surgeries
Through training the local healthcare professionals in the latest medical technologies and techniques that we use, we ensure the healthcare providers of Cajamarca have the tools needed to treat patients, far beyond our visit.
While cardiac surgery and interventions are a pivotal part of LIG Global commitment to the community in Cajamarca, we train other doctors and surgeons as well. Our diverse team of volunteers provide unique training in:
General surgery: from routine abdominal surgeries to bariatric surgeries.
OB/GYN surgery to improve our continued dedication to women’s health via donation and training of hysteroscopic equipment.
The hours spent in the operating room are an opportunity for the local surgeons to ask questions, receive strong mentorship, and operate under the guidance of a highly specialized surgeon. In addition to our time spent in the operating room, we continue to help the surgeons in Cajamarca after we leave Peru through telehealth services.
As two of the more eye-opening health statistics in Peru are centered around women and babies, the LIG Global team wanted to find a way that we could reduce this burden and make both mothers and babies live healthier lives.
Our efforts to reduce issues surrounding the high rates of premature deaths attributed to neonatal disorders in babies are focused on educating new mothers. We bring doctors and nursing who are highly specialized in neonatal medicine to teach the local nurses and physicians in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) how to best approach certain conditions in babies. By teaching and applying the most up-to-date techniques and procedures, our goal is that more babies will be free to live healthy and happy lives.
The high rates of cervical cancer and the amount of deaths attributed to it in Peru are abnormally high compared to similar countries. LIG Global’s team of OB/GYN volunteers have implemented a unique system to try and combat this deadly cancer. Our team has the opportunity to teach midwives how to screen women in their communities for cervical cancer, how to treat it, and when to refer women to specialists.
The midwives spend a full day in an educational classroom setting learning about the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) screening method from our Ob/Gyn volunteers. Following their time in the classroom, the midwives then get the opportunity to work side by side with the physicians during clinical days. This hands on certification process provides interaction and solidifies what was learned in the conference. Over the course of two days, the midwives screen over 100 women. In addition to this screening, they were trained how to perform cryosurgery in the clinic and via a local grant were given the machines for their own clinics throughout the region of Cajamarca. By utilizing this technique, the midwives can catch the cancer at an early stage and consequently, save lives for thousands of women.
Our vision of a global community, where all people have access to healthcare and where human dignity is cherished, is within reach during our lifetime. The LIG Global Foundation’s vision is that of a global community in which all persons have access to excellent health-care, where no one is forgotten, and where human dignity is cherished.