IRC and Clinica de Esperanza Adds a Laboratory

The goal of the clinic is to provide healthcare for 4,000 people per year who do not have access or funds for basic health needs. This includes medical diagnosis, treatment, medication, dental care, nutrition and education in basic hygiene. The goal is to enable these individuals to lead a healthier and more productive life. 

In April of 2019, construction began on renovating a back portion of the clinic into a working laboratory.  Tim Hines, the Executive Director of IRC and the Clinic coordinated the renovation with Gayle Davidson, the founder of the clinic.  As you can see, the floors had to be ripped out, along with a tree root that had torn up the tiles.  Then an additional wall had to be built, along with new tile, and new tin for all the walls.  Gayle Davidson and her intern from last summer, Allison Booher, were able to put the new laboratory to use last June 2019, when it began operations.  This lab will allow critical lab work to be done, so that diagnosis can be more accurate when seeing patients.   

The new Laboratory opened to provide basic diagnostics for the patients. Many tropical diseases (Dengue, Chickungunya, Malaria, Zika) present with the same symptomatology. Lab work is required to make a definitive diagnosis. They also have the ability to determine the depth of a regular illness that presents such as kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, or heart disease. The clinic’s goal is to be able to take the best possible care of the poor.

To learn more about the Clinica de Eperanza, and the work that Gayle does there, please visit the website at:  https://www.clinicofmyhope.org/