Personal experiences of healing draw us closer to the reality of those who suffer around the world. In the name of all those who must wait for healing care, our work to increase access to safe and timely surgery continues.

Bolivia has entered a second wave of the pandemic, with positive COVID-19 cases surpassing the highest points of 2020.

Delivering critical medical supplies to our Bolivian partners has been a key theme within our COVID response. Thanks to a generous donation by LTA Research and Exploration, more than 50,000 face shields are being distributed to medical workers on the front lines of this public health emergency.

Following the model of our surgical programs, we are expanding support to hundreds more patients in Bolivia.

This is the story of the pandemic as seen from our colleagues at the Cancer Institute of Eastern Bolivia. It is only an example of one hospital, in one city, and yet we hope it invites you into the reality of our partners who are providing care for patients with complex illnesses during this difficult time.

Operating in this pandemic poses greater risks to patients, and to their medical teams in the operating room. And yet, care must continue. As surgeries resume in our programs, safety is our top priority.

Our mission trips focus on mutual exchange. We have much to learn from each other. In this blog, we reflect on one of many things our mission team learned during our 100th mission trip last year.

Despite the postponement of surgeries, our program remained active during these long months. Social workers maintained contact with patients and in July, our pacemaker control clinics re-opened to provide regular monitoring.

Social workers share how the coronavirus quarantine has impacted their work, the challenges our patients are living through, and their commitment to accompany those who suffer.

We have been addressing healthcare inequities for more than 20 years and thanks to the deep partnerships we’ve formed in South America, we are well-positioned to respond to the heightened needs of today’s crisis—and we feel called to do so as faithfully and ambitiously as possible.

The coronavirus is spreading rapidly through the medical community in Bolivia, and the deaths of many accomplished professionals will have devastating long-term impacts on the health system for decades to come.

As the government response has focused on large institutions, Puente de Solidaridad has directed a number of our supplies to smaller organizations known for working at the edges of society.