From the cover story of the McLean Connection, December 2, 2009

McLean Residents Empower Guatemalans

Speaking at the celebration was Guatemalan ambassador to the United States Francisco Villagrán de León ... [He] said Partner for Surgery and Compañero en Salud filled "a critical void" in a country where many had no access to health care. Also, he noted [their] success in recruiting prominent Guatemalans to serve with Compañero en Salud, such as its president, Evelina Gonzalez de Herrera...

When she spoke, Gonzales de Herrara ... noted that her husband was one of Partner for Surgery’s first collaborators, setting up a medical center with the help of the fledgling organization and U.S. Rotarian clubs. Because the Guatemalan people are "beautiful and generous," she said, "If one throws a seed, a tree will grow." But, she added, the country has one of Latin America’s highest rates of infant mortality, tumors and other serious health problems, and 60 percent of the country is illiterate. Asking for her audience’s continued support of the nation’s "humble and friendly" indigenous people, she said, "You will find their gratitude has no limit." Read more

From the Sun Gazette, November 28, 2009

Local Medical Effort Brings Hope to Guatemalans in Need

Partner for Surgery, [is] a non-profit humanitarian group that since 2001 has treated about 30,000 Guatemalans and provided surgery for more than 5,000 patients.

Dr. Joseph Giordano, chairman of surgery at George Washington University Medical Center, will bring a team to Clinica Barbara on Dec. 5.

“[Partner for Surgery is] an extraordinary accomplishment,” Giordano said. “It's one of the best-organized groups I could ever believe in. It’s very well done.” Read more

In the News - Our Partners' Pages

From Project H.A.N.D.S. Outreach Clinics:

We send small teams of volunteers to rural areas where we run outreach clinics. Our trips usually go to rural northern Guatemala, to the departments of Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz and Quiche. On these trips we work closely with our affiliate Partner for Surgery (PfS), a US based NGO. PfS does all the local ground logistics for the trips and Project HANDS provides a small group of about 5-6 people to run the clinics. Read more

From the International Surgical Health Initiative:

The 20-member team that made up ISHI’s first mission has just returned to the United States in good health and spirits, with a feeling of accomplishment and the knowledge that they helped many people in need. With the support of Partner For Surgery (PFS), our local collaborator, and the Centro de Salud Bárbara in San Juan Sacatepequez, Guatemala, we performed 55 surgeries over four days in the clinic’s excellent ORs. Read more

From the Medical Missions for Children:

Since 2000, Medical Missions for Children has traveled to Antigua, Guatemala, delivering free surgical and dental care to infants and children with cleft deformities and other congenital anomalies. Working closely with Partners in Surgery through the Hermano Pedro Hospital, MMFC facilitates bringing impoverished families from very distant corners of Guatemala to our host hospital for surgical treatment. Most of the rural communities in Guatemala have no access to any level of medical care. Therefore, many families travel two or more days seeking MMFC’s help for their child. Each year, MMFC staffs this mission with two volunteer teams, which enables a variety of surgical and dental procedures to be completed at this one location. Read more