BOLIVIA – Healthcare At a Glance
- Bolivia is one of the poorest nations in South America with 56 % of the population living in conditions of poverty (≈ 5 million citizens).
- Infant Mortality rate are 75 deaths per 1,000 births.
- 10% of population has Diabetes
- Medical Services are generally inadequate and the health situation in Bolivia requires urgent measures.
Universidad Evangelica Boliviana – HISTORY
- Universidad Evangelica Boliviana or UEB was founded in 1980 by American educator and missionary, Dr. Meredythe Scheflen
- UEB is fully accredited by the Bolivian Government &
is an affiliate member of the Council of Christian Colleges
in the United States - 1998 a Medical Clinic was established on the Campus
via private donations - Originally built to service a neighborhood of 500 families, the Clinic has seen the area around it grow in population to over 380,000.
- Averages 6,000 patients a month.
- Clinic has 8 rooms with 4 to 5 patient beds in each.
- X-Ray machine dates back to 1983
- Medical facilities in Bolivia are categorized in three levels:
Level One: poor facility with little medical capability
Level Two: mediocre medical capabilities including limited surgeries
Level Three: large hospital with full medical capabilities - Currently the best Level Three hospital was built in the mid 1980’s on the Northern sectors of Santa Cruz. There are no Level Three facilities to cover the Southern sectors.
- Santa Cruz’s population increases by approximately 80,000 per year, putting a huge strain on any and all existing medical facilities.
- Ambulance / Emergency services are virtually non-existent in Santa Cruz resulting in many deaths.