This project is aimed at serving the Tarahumara Indians of the Sierra Madre. These people live scattered in 200 square miles of an incredibly rugged, vast canyon system. With an infant mortality rate of 50%, they are in desperate need of holistic health care and education. The installation of new hardware will enable Mexico Medical and other groups to meet the endless needs here.
To improve our current system, a taller radio tower with full solar power will be installed near the hospital. This will increase the range and quality of all contact with all radio units. One radio unit with solar panels and batteries will be put in a remote village. Solar capacity will be increased on another village unit. The 50-watt units in our ambulance and a community health vehicle will be upgraded to 60-watt radios, which will increase their range of contact.
Communication will be more reliable, and the range will expand in all of the cases listed below. Important users will also be added to the network.

The ability to call for medical help will be enhanced in 8 villages, most of which have no electricity or other communication ability of any kind.
Several channels will be available, allowing for simultaneous conversations to take place.
The air ambulance will be able to talk to its destination before taking off.
A private line will be available for the air-ambulance and its home base.
The hospital and ambulance will have contact over larger distances.
Communication between the hospital and health workers who live in villages will be more reliable.
Itinerary health workers who travel to remote villages each week will have greater safety and ability to network with the hospital and all other radio units.
Communication needs for another organization that runs schools and boarding houses in Tarahumara villages will be improved.
All radio units will have increased contact with local law enforcement officials.
Communication with government health workers will be possible.
The impact of the improved system will grow as Mexico Medical expands its work in Tarahumara villages. In addition: Mexico Medical Missions has been serving the Tarahumara through many different programs.
A 20-bed hospital has served as the primary medical center since January of 2000. It has outpatient facilities, a dental suite, adult and pediatric medical wards, a lab, X-ray services and a modern surgical suite.This year close to 10,000 patients have been served. Free medical care, and food and housing for admitted Tarahumara patients and their families are provided.

At least 10 villages were served this year on a regular basis through the community health program. A team of 3-5 doctors, dentists and nurses spend 1-3 days each week in a remote village doing GP and dental consults, health talks, and activities with children. A major goal is to enable the people to identify and solve their own problems.

General and eye surgeons are brought in for surgery weekends. Candidates are often searched out in villages, and sometimes brought in by truck and plane.

Support is given to health workers who live and work in 4 remote villages.

The aviation program has used a bush plane to transport patients to larger hospitals in emergencies, to bring personnel into the hospital, and to take health workers and supplies to remote villages.

A midwifery program is working toward training Tarahumara midwives, since they have none of their own.

A well drilling operation is conducted in cooperation with Ameritribes. Three communities received a reliable water source this past year.

Locations