December Veterinary Teaching Clinic in Lima, Peru was a Great Success

In December 2009, Dr. Gabriella Flacke and Murrayhill veterinary technician Dara Rishwain traveled to Lima, Peru to host a veterinary teaching clinic. The clinic was held for the benefit of Grupo Caridad, a local non-profit spay/neuter organization based in Lima. Grupo Caridad works only in economically underprivileged areas of Lima, specifically in an area called San Juan de Lurigancho. Grupo Caridad is financially supported by local donations as well as by Humane Society International, who sponsored Dr. Flacke and Dara’s trip to conduct the teaching clinic.

Three local Peruvian volunteer veterinarians work with Grupo Caridad, performing spay and neuter campaigns on weekends when they aren't working at their regular clinics. Unfortunately, the level of training in most Latin American veterinary schools is not on par with the training veterinarians receive in the United States. Thus, even though they do an excellent job with the resources available to them, there are many aspects where this is room for improvement, including with surgical techniques and with practicing sterility during surgery.

Dr. Flacke performed demonstration teaching surgeries to exhibit proper sterile and surgical technique. Dara served as technical support for the local veterinarians and for Dr. Flacke, performing the vital task of anesthesia monitoring and also acting as translator since she is fluent in Spanish. Two HSI representatives were present at the teaching clinic as well and they also helped train the local Peruvian support staff on aspect having to do with pre-anesthetic exams, anesthesia recovery, and patient discharge. The local veterinarians and support staff from Grupo Caridad who were trained to implement these new protocols were extremely receptive and grateful for the opportunity to learn and improve.

Dr. Flacke – "We are so lucky to live in a first world country were excellent veterinary medical care is readily available to most people and their pets. Sometimes we forget to stop and appreciate such things as we endure the stresses and business of everyday life. The people whose animals are helped by Grupo Caridad express a sense of heartfelt, genuine, eternal gratitude. Being involved in helping Grupo Caridad improve the level of care they are offering their patients was a very rewarding experience. The efforts to improve the clinic protocols will also help improve overall animal welfare in general and contributes to a better quality of life for each animal that is sterilized."

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