A new medical centre has been opened in the Monte Plata region, located in the north-eastern part of the Dominican Republic. The centre, called ‘El Cacique’ and capable of performing over 200 consultations a day, will provide medical services to mothers and children.

This is the second of two structures that the Dominican Association of the Order of Malta manages and finances within the country. The first, or the Herrera centre, is located in the eastern region and has been actively providing gynaecological and paediatric medical services for six years.

‘After the first experience with a functional, self-sufficient, structure endowed with a patrimonial fund, the next step was a second structure able to assist the population through the provision of continually more efficient health services,’ affirms José Vitienes, President of the Dominican Association of the Order.

The recently-inaugurated structure is located in a region previously void of any entity able to boast the same capabilities as ‘El Cacique.’ Now mothers and children from outlying areas can finally count on the availability of emergency medical personnel, modern birthing equipment, paediatric and obstetric wings and a department for the prevention of uterine and breast tumours.

The centre was brought to fruition also thanks a contribution from Project Hope, an international, non-profit, technical and humanitarian aide organization. A further objective of the project, affirms Teresa Narvaez, Director of the Centre, is to focus ‘on education and on total-community involvement as the means to improve the general healthcare situation and to develop a preventative healthcare culture on the local level.’