Access
to dental care in the rural areas of Guatemala is
almost nonexistant. The need is great -- we noticed
that during our previous medical missions, our dentists
were always the busiest members of the team. In
May, 2009 we are sending a group focused solely
on dental care. Our goal is to remove as much pain
and infection as possible during our 5-day work
week. Each dentist should expect to see between
15 and 30 patients per day.
We will be based in the village of Chichicastenango
in the Quiche department in the western highlands
of Guatemala. We will be working with the Guatemalan
Methodist Church and a local missionary organization,
Salud
y Paz.
Here are the details we know so far:
Team
size will be 15 - 20 people
We
will be providing rural dental clinics for 5
days.
-
Drive to Chichicastenango (~4 hours)
- Check into hotel
- Visit Maryknoll Sisters
- Visit Orphanage in Lemoa
Sunday
April
25
-
Free time at the market in Chichicastenango
- Attend evening church services
Monday
April
26
-
Rural clinic
Tuesday
April
27
-
Rural clinic
Wednesday
April
28
-
Rural clinic
Thursday
April
29
-
Rural clinic
Friday
April
30
-
Rural clinic
Saturday
May
1
-
Drive to Antigua (~4 hrs)
- Check into hotel
- Free time in Antigua
Sunday
May
2
-
Shuttle to airport
- Fly home
Cost
The
total cost for this trip is roughly estimated at
$1,500 to $1,600 per person, depending on final
team size and negotiated airfare (see notes
on group airfares). This amount includes all
airfare, ground transportation, lodging, and most
meals during the trip. Here is a breakdown of what
is covered:
Costs
covered:
Costs
not covered:
Round-trip
airfare from Denver to Guatemala
Ground
Transportation
All
lodging (double occupancy)
Meals
in Chichicastenango
Evacuation
insurance
Guatemala
City departure tax
Extra
airfare from cities other than Denver
Medical
instruments, consumables, and other supplies
Single
occupancy lodging
Lunch
materials for weekdays
Meals
in Antigua
Beverages
other than purified water, coffee, and
tea
Guatemala
City airport security fee ($3.00)
Payment Schedule
Amount
Due
Date
Notes
Initial
Deposit
$250
October
1, 2009
Applications
Due
Second
deposit
$650
December
1, 2009
Final
payment
$650
(+/-)
March
1, 2010
Amount
will vary according to ticketed airfare
Please
make checks out to Pura Vida. Please see our refund
policy.
Rural
dentistry
MS
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