On 4 March, the Commonwealth of Municipalities of the Naranjo River Basin (MANCUERNA), and The Inter-American Dialogue, with support from Cities Alliance and UNOPS, made a donation of medical material to health institutions in the municipalities of Marcos, San Pedro and San Antonio.
These supplies will benefit four municipalities that were among the most affected by the pandemic, and will protect front-line personnel and their communities.
Patricia Quinteros, representative of San Marcos National Hospital
The donation included 700 masks, 960 gowns, 960 surgical caps, 880 four-layer masks with visor, 1500 bags for the disposal of medical waste and 3600 swabs, among other medical items, that will contribute to the efforts of local authorities to counteract the pandemic.
"These donations will help address our current deficit of material, as we do not have enough budget. With this type of support, it will be easier for us to guarantee the lives and health of staff and patients", said Dr Ruben Orozco, Director of San Pedro Sacatepéquez Health Center.
The supplies are expected to benefit nearly 64 000 people in the San Marcos Health District.
This donation takes place within the framework of Cities Alliance’s global response to the Covid-19 crisis, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
In Guatemala, Cities Alliance implements projects to promote social and economic development through migration management, such as Thriving in San Marcos, implemented in cooperation with The Inter-American Dialogue.