Health Clinics

Prior to the pandemic Doctor Don was our most frequent and consistent physician.  He came twice a year for several years, screening the children who attend the learning center and referring them to other health facilities when that was needed.  During the pandemic he continued to be available to consult with the staff via email and sometimes suggested lab tests or other procedures designed to produce appropriate diagnoses. 

After an absence of nearly three years, Dr. Don was back in Guatemala in March and April of 2022 and again in April of 2023. He spent several days at the learning center, taking up where he had left off, examining kids, treating minor issues and recommending additional treatments. We are grateful to him for his continued dedication to the children at Open Windows.  

Volunteer dentists would also come occasionally from Guatemala City or the United States to provide dental examinations, fillings, extractions and other dental care.  This program resumed in 2022 thanks to Dr. Bartholomew Roach, DDS, from Kennewick, Washington, where he runs Three Rivers Dental and Charity Sonrisa Immaculata, and Carlos Ramos, owner of the San Carlos Inn in Antigua. Then, in 2023 we received a visit from a long-time friend of Open Windows, Dr. Odette, and her team of 14 dentists and interns. They treated 127 patients during a single week in June, providing 409 fillings, 74 extractions and 42 crowns, among other services. Dr. Odette’s primary message, however, is that we need more focus on prevention to avoid the need for so many treatments.

The one aspect of our health program which we were able to maintain during the pandemic was our ability to provide medicines and/or the funds to purchase medicines for people in the community who could not afford them.  With so many people out of work due to the restrictions on movement, there were many more of these people than during normal times.  We were happy to be able to offer this service.