Congratulations for the dedication of the new Centro Médico San Lucas (St. Luke Medical Center) on February 16, 2009 as part of the IMA-Missions Organization. The opening represented the realization of a life-long dream of Dr. Roberto Rodríguez Arizpe to establish a permanent presence in Mexico. A place that would bring hope and to which people in need of medical attention could turn to, when they had nowhere else to go. The article is in Spanish but you'll see some familiar faces in the pictures.
So many people responded to the call and saw the vision and the dream as a viable opportunity and with that help it has become a reality. The clinic started operations on February 17, 2009, with ten procedures accomplished on that day.
The need for financial support and involvement continues, as they begin to compile a list of things to equip the clinic adequately. The list will be posted on the website with approximate costs for clarity. Please check it periodically as there may be a need you/your church/your friends/your family/your work place can respond to.
IMA has financial needs at many levels: operating funds for the U.S. and Mexico (in addition to the running of the clinic), scholarships, construction, etc. Any donations can be designated for specific use. We will explain these further in the future for your understanding/consideration. IMA wants to establish a fund both in the U.S. and Mexico to sponsor patients's surgeries for those who are not able to contribute anything.
The one big item still needed for the building is the Air Conditioning and we are still hoping to raise an additional $250,000.00 for that purpose.
Even in this economic world crisis we know God will provide. Tell our story to anyone who will listen. We know the IMA family is doing all it can through your involvement and participation and we need to bring others into the fold --others whose resources we have not tapped and whom God has in mind for providing assistance. We just need to do our part.
In addition, we have enlisted the help of the local community coming to San Lucas for help. During the project we just completed, those seeking our help were asked to partner with us in making the clinic self-sustaining. A simple three-tier contribution amount was established depending on the complexity of the procedure being saught and a detailed explanation of the situation was presented to each patient and their families. It was important to explain that the participants continue to provide their services free of charge and additionally pay travel/food/lodging expenses and purchase supplies personally. This in itself is a concept hard for the patients to fathom, as they always want to know "who pays you to come?". The huge support the participants receive back home in terms of rounding up supplies needs to be factored in as well as this allows us not to pass the cost on to the patients. That leaves us with the additional costs of maintenance of the new facility, and that is where the patients were asked to partner with us in making it financially viable.
The response was tremendous! Every person coming through understood perfectly and were willing/desiring to be a part of this exciting opportunity! No one was denied our services. The "no-shows" were tabulated at 6% and while we've never kept this type of record, it did not seem unusual for any of our other projects in the past. The contributions ranged from the full suggested amount to those who could not come up with anything. Those who had no resources to tap were left with an invitation to do so in the future as circumstances enabled them to do so. This was an opportunity to minister to each patient needing surgery individually and each case was personalized. An added benefit to this situation is the preservation of the patients' dignity as they help pay for the services they are receiving.
This will be standard procedure for all of our projects using our facility and we will continue to tell our side of the story to all who come to us for help. We view it all as part of our testimony and witness to the Almighty who has made all this possible and allows us the privilege to be in service to the needy through the skills He has blessed us with.
Thank you for being a part of our IMA family and your continued support in so many ways! We look forward to what God has in store for us in our future work!
And we pray God's continued blessings upon you and your loved ones!
In Him,
Maria
maria@ima-missions.org
International Medical Assistance (IMA)
www.ima-missions.org
(877) 251-0526 toll fre
(812) 371-3151 cell (24/7)
(812) 379-1161 office
(812) 418-0350 fax
P.O. Box 2161
Columbus, IN 47202-2161
To inquire about jobs visit Melnic Consulting Group or contact:
Jill Gilliland
800-886-7906
jill@melnic.com
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