Médecins Sans Frontières - WEBCLIP (INT) - Puerto Rico - Partnering to Reach Marginalized Communities

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF338228

Date taken / Date Recorded 23/10/2020 3:31 PM

Country Puerto Rico, USA

Commissioning section MSF-UNITED STATES

Photographer / videographer / producer Gabriella N. Báez

Copyright MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) Advertising Campaign, External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available yes

Editor's rating ★★★★★★★ (A)

Video format h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 4m55s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 710.09 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist [00:00] The pandemic has turned into a disaster worse than Hurricane Maria.
[00:05] We understand that public health in our country is not the best.
[00:13] There are a lot of pitfalls.
[00:15] There is a lot of bureaucracy.
GRAPHIC: Anabela Fuentes Garcia Community Liaison Taller Salud
[00:17] There are a lot of limitations, and many stumbling blocks.

[00:21] A lot of people think that as a place
[00:23] that is part of the United States,
[00:26] we have access to doctors. But in reality, health care
GRAPHIC: Carla Gonzalez Nurse Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
[00:29] in Puerto Rico in low resource areas is quite limited.
[00:32] And COVID-19 made this even worse.
[00:35] Patients are truly scared to leave their homes,
[00:38] and people have stopped taking care of themselves.
[00:41] This has made a big impact.

[00:44] I had never really worked
GRAPHIC: Rolando Betancourt Nurse Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
[00:48] in the least advantaged sector of Puerto Rican society.
[00:54] With Doctors Without Borders, I came to see the other side of
[00:55] these social systems.

[00:58] Well, see, visiting the doctor happens rarely or practically never.
GRAPHIC: Omar Delgado Mieles President Angeles Anonimos
[01:03] There are many [people] who may not have seen a doctor in years.

[01:06] The situation is even worse among the elderly because
[01:08] they have mobility problems and
[01:10] many do not have relatives to take them [places].

[01:12] We are reaching out to some very marginalized communities,
[01:15] communities where it’s difficult for
[01:18] people to leave their area to seek services.
[01:21] We’re bringing services to those communities.

[01:25]
TEXT: Over the past four months, MSF worked closely with community leaders across Puerto Rico to reach people who are cut off from health care services

[01:33]
TEXT: Together, we brought pop-up clinics to underserved communities

[01:38]
TEXT: We also provided home-based medical services, treating elderly patients and older adults with chronic conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19

[01:47] My role is a community liaison
[01:49] and I work for the organization Taller Salud of Loíza.
[01:54] Now, I’m also collaborating with
[01:57] Doctors Without Borders, which has also been
[02:01] very beneficial for the community because
[02:05] there are no transportation services, and therefore
[02:08] there is no way to get to our health center.

[02:12] And by bringing [the clinic] to the community,
[02:14] people are able to walk there.
[02:16] We can also go visit people who cannot get there.
[02:19] I feel happy because I see that yes,
[02:23] the services that are being carried out in the community are working.
[02:27] And they were necessary, very necessary.

[02:32]
TEXT: We also partnered with community leaders to bring mobile medical services to homeless and marginalized communities

[02:38] Today, we are in the area of Arecibo
[02:42] providing health services
[02:44] with staff from Doctors Without Borders,
[02:48] helping people who live in the streets
[02:50] and bedridden people who really need health services.

[02:54] I have the opportunity as a paramedic
[02:58] from the Arecibo area to know many people
[03:02] who I’m aware are in need of health services.
[03:06] Doctors Without Borders has doctors and nurses.
[03:10] For this reason, when we work together,
[03:12] we can help people who have ulcers, diabetes, or any condition.

[03:18] Because this means giving value,
[03:23] giving life, to people who
[03:26] might think they have no one.
[03:29] It makes people living on the street, homeless,
[03:33] feel that they have someone to count on,
[03:35] someone they can turn to.

[03:39]
TEXT: Former MSF staff have formed a new organization called Puerto Rico Salud to continue providing essential medical services to communities across the island.

[03:46] I’m one of the partners with the vision [for Puerto Rico Salud].
[03:49] What do we want? We really saw the impact
[03:52] Doctors Without Borders made. We saw the needs
[03:54] that exist in the communities, and the limitations in access.

[03:57] We set out to find a way
[04:01] to continue the same work as Doctors Without Borders.
[04:05] Who better than the same staff
[04:07] who worked with Doctors Without Borders,
[04:09] who are already trained,
[04:11] and who know the quality of service required?

[04:13] It’s important that while access to health care still isn’t easy
[04:18] in Puerto Rico, there are still people who
[04:21] are available and committed to health care
[04:25] and to helping patients.

[04:27] I am part of the community and
[04:30] I have felt and lived what it’s like
[04:33] to have limitations when it comes to accessing services.
[04:39] That motivates me to do community work,
[04:43] so that we can form a united front.
[04:46] And the more people we have, the more strength we have,
[04:48] the more services we will be able to demand and receive.