Colombia Global Grant Report submitted- Ponseti Method Training for the Treatment of Clubfoot in Colombia
October 4, 2020
The first report to The Rotary Foundation for this project has been accepted. All the initial training sessions were completed and everything went extremely smoothly. The last training session (the sixth one) was completed late in January 2020. Yet to be seen is how the Covid-19 pandemic will affect the timing of follow-up visits to trainees.
Many thanks to the clubs and districts who are supporting this Global Grant project:
District 6960 (Florida, USA)
RC of Bogotá Centenario (D4281)
RC of Cedar Rapids Downtown (D5970)
RC of Ibagué (D4281)
RC of Iowa City AM (D6000)
RC of Marco Island Noontime (D6960)
RC of Vail (D5470)
Iowa’s Gift to the World
What was the overall impact of the training on the community? Include specific results of the training or explain how it has improved the community’s capacity in this vocation.
The directors of hospitals and insurance companies learned about the Ponseti Method as a safe method, of low cost and efficient for clubfoot management. Hospital directors recognized the advantages for the patient and his family, and the reduction in costs for making the correction in a more fast. They realized the importance of creating Ponseti clinics, that means order, discipline and efficiency in the teaching parents and caregivers of children. Thanks to the visit of Dr. Morcuende to the Presidency of the Republic, the work that is being done in Colombia with children with clubfoot. The trained orthopedists had very flattering words as none of them had had a teaching ¨hands on¨ regarding the Ponseti Method. They also congratulated the team and thanked Rotary for providing the tools to carry out this course. Having enough time to learn something new and carrying it out first on plastic models and then on patients was very valuable.
Some phrases from the participants:
“It was a unique experience.”
“It completely changed the way I treat patients with clubfoot.”
“I realized the mistakes I was making with my patients.”
“I want to quickly get to my hospital to change things to make them better now.”
Comments from parents:
So far I really understand the Ponseti Method. ¨I want my son to be well, I am going to do my best to make this happen.”
“Now I know when the splint is wrong.”
“I liked meeting other parents and other children with the same problem as mine.”
