Category Archives: Mental Health

Supporting those in need with MH stressors.

Walk in Clinic: Consults and Suturing

Many of our patients are not only served through EMS/SAR yet also through medical consultations, and basic suturing/first aid in our Emergency Walk in clinic in San Salvador.  This helps bigger congested Emergency Rooms in San Salvador attend to critical patients during national holidays such as Holy Week.  Comandos de Salvamento Doctor Margarita Menjivar de Orellana presents a portrait of this work at the walk in clinic, Central Base this last weekend.

consulta de osea

Pictured here is Doctor Gomez from the pharmeceutical labs MK (Maquensson) realizing one of these bone measures on the wrist with a patient. In order to offer preventive health care to men over 40 and woman over 35, of who all seem to be lovers of coffee and soda, and do not like lactate products, every three months we offer consults to educate and measure bone density (the amount of calcium present).  This helps prevent Osteoporosis, because once one has it, it can cause bone fractures from just walking, laying down, or even turning over in bed. It is an illness that does not always present with pain in the majority of cases.

Chilindrina en la base central

This young patient of 24 years of age, mother of three children, aledged to use drugs, has tried to commit suicide for the second time.  She was attended to in the small surgery room of the walk in clinic at Base Central with first aid and psychosocial support.

Long time experienced veteran Comando medic Rosa Maria Galvez is suturing the injury after cleaning the site, and assuring integrity of the arteries and veins.

Chilindrina en la base central

 

Fotos: Dra. Margarita

 

Mountain Recovery: Red Cross Collaboration

Puerto Colaboración

EMS Recovery crews from CDS and Salvadoran Red Cross recover the body of a female that committed suicide by jumping off the face of Puerta de Diablo, south of San Salvador. Recovery efforts took a long time due to the 30 meter height of the precipice.

Redacción Diario Co Latino report Translation by Marco Forty year old Delhi Mabel de Montes took her own life this Thursday when she jumped off the highest cliff of the Devil’s door at Los Planes de Renderos. According to preliminary reports from search and recovery teams, the woman was a nurse at the psychiatric hospital and is from Tonacatepeque. Circumstances that led to the suicide remain unknown.  The National Civilian Police are investigating a motive. However, it is known that the sixteen year old daughter of Delmi was disappeared and this circumstance made her very depressed. EMS crews have informed that before jumping off the ledge, she had called friends at work to inform them of her decision to take her own life. This Friday, recovery teams from the Red Cross, Comandos de Salvamento and the PNC worked since 10 am to recover the cadaver that was in a difficult zone to access.

Disaster Mental Health

cuzinterview

On November 20 2009, AGARESO interviewed Executive Director Roberto Cruz about the mental health symptoms of the population of Guadalupe and Verapaz after mudslides decimated many homes and businesses.  He speaks of two suicides as a result of the disaster  The original blog entry on AGARESO website here. The interview is only in Spanish.  In a few days, the CDS press department will present documentary photos of the disaster the day after it happened in Guadalupe and Verapaz. The photographs were taken by a resident of Guadalupe named Josue Ricardo Dimas.

[podcast]https://comandosdesalvamento.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/entrevista_cruzconagareso11_20_09.mp3[/podcast]

Photo Credit: Chus Álvarez

Drugs and Alcohol

The transport of intoxicated patients is a common duty that CDS does to offer support to patients and families.  Family members and friends of these types of patients should accompany their loved ones to the psychiatric hospital with CDS.  On many occasions, patients can turn violent due to drugs and alcohol consumed and it helps to have family members and friends there to assist EMS staff.

Ayudando los Alcoholicos

Foto 1- Comando “Peatón” transport a “Dormilón” who was victim of “dormilonas” that robbed him while he was passed out and ebriated.

Ayudando los Alcoholicos

Photo 2- Comandos assist a patient who attempted suicide by cutting his wrists after various days of drinking alcohol.

Photos:  Francisco Campos