Medical Mission Ecuador
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News
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September 2023
Planning proceeding for MME 2024!:
The dates for 2024 have been set and are on the homepage. Please fill out a new application for any volunteer, returning or new. Please be aware, not all those who volunteer will be able to attend. Applications will be reviewed and we will contact you back. Thanks!
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September 2022
Planning proceeding for MME 2023!:
After 2 years of cancellations, we are planning to proceed with MME 2023! Since it is a changed world compared with our last mission, things may be slightly changed in ways we cannot predict. We could always still have a cancellation. But as of now, we will proceed with normal plans! Please fill out an application. Also, be aware since we have been absent for a while, we may have a deluge of volunteers and will have to possibly leave out some qualified people. Please don't make any promises to friends about attending as the board will make final determinations. We are mostly limited in terms of space for our lodging, so although there are lots of jobs for lay people, there is not a lot of space and the Rotarians are limited in their capacity to help transport and feed larger groups than we normally have.
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August 2022
Henry moves south!
After 35 years at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Henry Vasconez has relocated to Quito, Ecuador and taken on the position of Dean of the Medical School at the Unversidad San Francisco de Quito. Please reach out to Henry to wish him well! He will still plan to run and participate in MME moving forward with more emphasis on outreach, research, and medical education.
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September 2021
Advancing the cause
Vasconez awarded Fulbright Scholarship to strengthen Ecuador outreach
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September 2021
Planning proceeding for MME 2022!:
After much discussion and planning, there is a tentative plan to move forward with the medical mission trip for next year in February 2022. The plan dates will be February 11 through the 19th, with a schedule as we’ve done in years past.
Clearly the world is in a fluid situation and it may come to pass that if the virus numbers change throughout the world or locally in the United States / Ecuador, plans could need to be changed as we had to do last year.
But we do have to move forward with planning if we were going to try and hold the mission, so we will do so.
I will say, I would not be able to tell you if friends or additional volunteers would be able to attend over our previous stalwarts, so it would be difficult over the next two months to let you know about volunteer numbers until we start getting some numbers in for applications. The point is, be patient, we may need additional volunteers if there is a hesitancy for people to come on the trip but we may have the exact opposite scenario where we have too many people who want to go because of our cancellation last year.
The best thing to do is to fill out an application and we should have more information by about October for our overall numbers and planned attendees.
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December 2020
Covid-19 leads to cancellation of 2021 Mission:
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Dear Volunteer Ecuador Medical Mission:
The Ecuador Medical Mission is undoubtedly the most important project that the Ambato Rotary Club carries out in conjunction with a large number of people, like you, who are always willing to help us.
This project is the largest social and community support project, it involves a series of activities, the same ones that have always been carried out with the responsibility and affection that characterizes our club in each of its actions.
The Medical Mission demands that the organizing parties of this project begin to work between the months of September - October of each year to implement the mission in the month of February.
This year was no exception, we started our planning activities for the Medical Mission, to carry it out as planned.
The year 2020 as all of humanity knows it has been an extremely complex year, however we always hoped to be able to carry out the Medical Mission 2021, unfortunately the current situation in relation to the pandemic does not allow us to carry out this great social action.
It would be irresponsible for us to carry out the mission under the current conditions, since we would be exposing patients, doctors, collaborators, volunteers and the community itself.
We will always act with total responsibility, adhere to the principles of Rotary and true to our motto, Give of yourself, before thinking about yourself.
It is extremely sad to have made this decision, but these are times when we must be totally responsible to our community.
We always appreciate your willingness to help others and collaborate with us, we will overcome the current situation together, this year which has been "the longest in history" leaves us many reflections, but we will come back stronger, with more desire to continue helping our community to build a better world and for that we count on you and your attitude of service.
We are waiting for you in our next Medical Mission!
With enormous gratitude.
Carlos Fernando Villacreses
Presidente de Club Rotario Ambato
2020 - 2021.
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Fall 2020
CDC Lists Ecuador as Level IV Travel advisory:
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-4/coronavirus-ecuador
Level 4: Very High Level of COVID-19 in Ecuador
Key Information for Travelers to Ecuador
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Travelers should avoid all travel to Ecuador.
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Travel may increase your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.
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March 2020
Covid-19 encouragment from The Rotary Club of Ambato:
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Estimada Beatriz quiero enviar un saludo para usted, su hermano Henry y A través de ustedes a todos nuestros queridos amigos de la misión médica Ecuador 2020.
La difícil situación por la que estamos pasando y que los médicos y personal de apoyo están viviendo, nos hacen reflexionar en el inmenso bien que brindan a través de su profesión. Nuestro reconocimiento especial a todos ellos y nuestro deseo de que se encuentren fuertes en su estado físico, anímico y mental.
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Dear friends of Medical Mission Ecuador, on behalf of the Rotary members and the ladies, I want to send you a greeting and all our support in these difficult times that we are going through. I know that you as health professionals are at the forefront of this global pandemic and giving your contribution to all those who need it.
That is why we send you a warm greeting and our moral support for each of you and your families.
God protect us in these hard times.
Regards
Francisco Loayza
President
Ambato Rotary Club
Saludos
Francisco Loayza
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February 2020
Back from Ambato!
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We have just returned from another successful surgical mission to Ambato, Ecuador. 80 volunteers along with 35+ local assistants help us see almost 400 patients in clinic to provide over 120 surgeries, 1500 patient encounters including medical assessment, physical therapy, occupational therapy, wheelchair fittings, and brace or orthotic fittings. Hundreds of braces and walking aid were custom fitted, almost 50 custom fit wheelchairs donated and 30+ strollers modified for special needs children so patients can move on their own or parents don't have to carry them.
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