Health & Help is an international non-governmental humanitarian aid organization, providing medical care in developing countries. The organization opened its clinics in Central American countries with poorly developed infrastructure and low-income population, with little or medical care in most of the regions. The project was founded in 2015 by Viktoria Valikova, MD, an infectious disease specialist from Ufa, Russia, who has been working in Central America since 2014, and Karina Basharova, the CEO of the project. The first clinic opened its doors in early 2017[1][2]. There are two Health & Help medical facilities in Central America, located in rural parts of Guatemala and Nicaragua. Health & Help staff includes multinational volunteer physicians and other medical professionals as well as photographers, coordinators, assistants, construction workers and home-based specialists[3].
History
In 2014, the founder Victoria Valikova graduated from the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Belgium, majoring in "Tropical medicine and health systems management in resource-constrained settings". Victoria chose to volunteer her skills in Guatemala as she was overwhelmed with poverty rates and low health care levels in the country. She was shocked there were no clinics or health centers in rural areas with underdeveloped transportation systems, leaving local people no chance to receive medical attention when needed. Alternative medicine is widely spread around the country: healers and rural midwives are trusted with lives, however, death rates are disturbingly high due to lack of professional training and access to modern medication. Victoria could not complete her first mission due to a military conflict in the area, nevertheless she moved to Honduras and helped manage cholera outbursts across Haiti. There she came up with an idea to open her own non-profit clinic. Once she got back home, Victoria started working on the strategy and inviting partners to join. In Ufa, Russia, she met Karina Basharova, who became the driving force of the project. Together, they created a plan, attracted talents through social media, and raised money via crowdfunding platforms boomstarter.ru[4] and generosity.com. The first clinic was opened in a small village in Guatemala. The mission was supported by Rustem Khamitov, Artemy Lebedev, Cemento Progreso, ECA Guatemala and many others. Health & Help expanded throughout the first year, introducing new programs and working with new locations. 2019 will bring the world the second clinic in Nicaragua.
Guatemala
Initially, the clinic construction site was planned to be in the village of Sentinela - with a population of 2,500 people - which is located in one of Guatemala's most mountainous areas, far away from big cities. However, in March 2016, the plans had changed due to a series of armed conflicts for the control over the lands of Sentinela. Therefore, the site was relocated to the village of Jutacaj (with population of 8,000 people) where medical assistance was needed as well, owing to lack of nearby health centers and poor quality of the local roads. However, the construction site was once again moved as the corruption of the local authorities was exceedingly high. Finally, the village of Chuinajtajuyub (Totonikapan area) was chosen, where the clinic opened its doors for 20,000 people. Architects Mikhail and Elizaveta Shishins, who have previously built a school in Nepal, designed the clinic building. In June 2016, the construction started, and over 35 volunteers from around the world joined the project. Local people were also hired to participate. Meanwhile, doctors were seeing patients in a small room at the local school. Uninterrupted patient care was provided despite the lack of space and shortage of resources. The clinic opened its doors on February 24, 2017.
Currently Health & Help is open 24/7 for emergency care, and 8 hours a day almost daily as a clinic. The medical staff sees around 70 patients a day, introducing preventive care to local communities.
Medical Volunteers give out pediatric, general and gynaecology consultations, prescribe medication, perform minor surgeries, provide pregnancy check ups, deliver babies, and educate local people on type I diabetes, child malnutrition, planned parenthood, personal hygiene and healthy diet.
During the Fuego Volcano eruption in June 2018, Health & Help volunteers arrived at the site, providing victims with much needed medical attention.
Nicaragua
The construction of the second clinic launched in Las Salvias, Nicaragua in late 2018.