Voluntary work
For over 15 years, I treat burn patients on a voluntary basis in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. It is my passion to give treatments to as many people who have suffered burns to ensure pain reduction and improve wound healing.
HoPe Foundation (www.stichtingHoPe.org) asked me to come to Peru to give my treatments in a burn center in the Hospital Regional del Cusco. The HoPe Foundation has been providing assistance to the burns department in the hospital in Cuzco for 20 years and this is one of the many projects that the HoPe Foundation supports.
Throughout my whole life I have seen a lot of different burn patients who have obtained my treatment. However I have never seen a same or similar situation as in the hospital in Cuzco. This situation was heartbreaking to see and could best be described as situation where people we’re exposed to inhuman conditions and circumstances. This degrading situation was the main reason to give 100% commitment to improve the situation in which these burn patients are subjected to. Because of a shortage and lack of primary medication including pain relief, good and sufficient cream on the burns etcetera, these burn patients were subjected to an agony. This is almost impossible for us to imagine. With my treatments I have been able to do a lot for the patients.
After multiple local doctors have seen the results of my treatment, I have been invited to pursue giving treatment in other relatable burn departments in hospitals in Lima. This invitation resulted in improved situations in several institutions related to burn patients like Instituto De Salud del Nino San Borja and Hospital Brena.
Doctors, nurses and especially patients are very grateful to me. I am currently being asked to to return to the hospitals to provide more people of my treatments. Due to a lack of donor skin they want to build a specified institute which enables patients to obtain donor skin easily, as this is one of the primary and most effective helping sources that would help burn patients with wound healing. This too is a project where I’m involved in.
On this website, I will share all my experiences to keep you informed about the developments and the results of the projects where I am part of.
If you want more information about my volunteer work, I can speak to you in person or by phone. I also give presentations on request.
Treatments in Peru – Cuzco
The hospital in Cuzco is one of the hospitals where only the poorest people come to.
There seemed to be a lack of everything. No pain medication, little or no helping resources, little knowledge, doctors who were not or hardly present, operations that were not carried out or were carried out too late, and above all there was no aftercare. The staff that worked there worked very hard but with a lack of everything and with very serious burning patients it was quite a challenge to improve the situation.
Luckily, I could enlist myself to give a lot of treatments. The patients and the staff were very grateful for my given help.
My heart is deeply touched by this distressing situation. I have encountered way too many problems of drastically character. The majority of burn patients are children. These children are subjected to a bad social economic situation that makes it even harder to prevent themselves from burn wounds. We must help them, as they’re not in the position to help themselves.
Treatments in Peru – Lima
Doctor V. Rodriquez, a well known and competent physician, invited me to come to work with him together in one of the hospitals in Lima, named as San Borja. Mr Rodriquez has outstanding expertise in the field of burn patients. It was a honor to be under his guidance during time of work. One of the most remarkable things that came across to me was that the majority of burn patients were children, similar to the situation in Cuzco.
I worked and pursued to help these children with all my determination and energy. On certain days I gave treatments to more than 40 people.
Although the situation is still poignant in Lima, medical care is better regulated in Lima than in Cuzco.
Doctors, nurses and patients are very thankful for my assistance, and are open to work with me on complementary basis. The medical staff is impressed by the results and outcomes of my treatments and eagerly want to cooperate with me in the future as much as possible.
Treatment videos Peru
My name is Ana Lucia. I work at the burn department for the HoPe foundation.
Thanks to the effort that foundation HoPe is putting in a various range of social economical cases, I have been able to help patients with burn wounds. This foundation has a role in many important resolutions pursuant to the social and economic interests of the country.
Today, we’ve welcomed a volunteer named Claudia. In fact she has been working for HoPe since a week. She’s giving pain reduction therapy. For me personally this is an important matter as there is great need of improvement in the field of pain relieve/reduction.
I’ve seen the excellent outcomes that resulted from the treatments Claudia is giving to patients with burn wounds.
Many people have felt the same, and we’re extremely gladdened that they experienced giant pain reduction. The treatment Claudia gave has clearly helped patients to experience pain relieve/reduction and improvement of wound healing, especially in cases where patients undergo dressing change, a very painful and unpleasant action. Patients tell me that the treatments of Claudia are helping and they clearly experience a difference. In addition to that, the treatments has also effect on swelling, in sense that it strongly reduces.
I can tell that the positive effect of Claudia’s treatment don’t only have a favorable impact on physical matters, it also leads to better emotional health.
It would be wonderful if patients could get treatments during dressing change and bathing time.
Yesterday I went in with the volunteer to get a treatment. I have felt much better after treatment, think of less pain and fast healing. I still haven’t felt any sense of pain.
Nurse: Do you want the volunteer continue working? What do you prefer?
Patient: I would like her to continue giving therapy.
Nurse: Tomorrow you will have dressing change while bathing, is it ok for you if Claudia, the volunteer is still present while you get your treatment?
Patient: Yes, the treatments of Claudia gives me a lot of positivity so I would be delighted if she could stay while having dressing change.
Nurse: Hearty thanks!