Health Care

Amazingly, Nicaraguan people live to be around 70 years old. This is amazing because the state of the country's health care is tragic at best. The system is overworked and under-funded. The system just can't keep up with the growing population of Nicaragua.

Each medium-to-large town has a health center, but these are generally under-funded and under-staffed. In El Tránsito, the health center is only open from 9 a.m. to noon. Services are basic, and most patients are referred to the hospital in Leon. Patients can wait several days to several months to receive treatment in Leon for minor problems that ultimately turn into major ones.

When someone in the community suffers an accident, they have few options if it is at night or the weekend. Transportation is not always available to Managua or Leon at a moment's notice. NICA has set up an urgent nurse care station in the town to help supplement the health care options available to the town when the health center is not open. People can receive mediations for cuts, fever, and respiratory problems. You can't imagine how many limbs are saved with a tube of Neosporin and some good old-fashioned soap and water.

NICA is always looking for donations of medical supplies and medical experience. In the future, we are planning to start a visiting doctor program. If you are interested to find out what we are doing for health care in El Tránsito, please contact us.