Welcome to EWB-GT’s newest project!
The Region
Santo Domingo is a town of about 500,000 people situated between the coastal and highlands regions of Ecuador. Poverty in the area has led to poor health outcomes, including an acute increase in suicide and teen pregnancy rates.
The Problem
One of the health centers serving this population is run by a nonprofit called Hombro a Hombro, which is Spanish for “shoulder to shoulder”. This health center is currently able to treat about 7,000 patients annually with an estimated 50,000 people in the immediate radius. The local population has outgrown the resources that Hombro a Hombro is able to offer through their health center, with a major bottleneck being a lack of building space for exam and waiting rooms. Patients are scared to leave their children unattended during appointments due to the nature of the area. There is also no area where clinic staff can teach community members about nutrition and host events.
The Solution
Our team visited the clinic in November 2022 and met with community leaders and clinic staff members. We learned that we can make the most impact by providing a kitchen for staff and the greater community, and a children’s waiting room. These additions will take the form of a separate structure. This way, patients will come for check-ups with no fear for their children’s safety and will have an area where they can gather to learn more about nutrition/share meals. Our technical committee has created designs for these structures that you can check out below, along with pictures of the current health center!
