By Greg Hodgson – Denver, Colorado … Adventist hospitals in Colorado provided aid, including a shipment of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) sent from Denver via Miami, to the Clinica Adventista Ana Stahl in Iquitos, Peru, the largest city in the world with no road access. Also, $72,000 was given in donations to the hospital in the Amazon Jungle.
As reported in NewsNuggets on May 26 this Adventist mission hospital in Iquitos has, in recent months, endured significant suffering due to COVID-19. Their records show that about 75 percent of the staff were infected. Sadly, two doctors and one nurse died from the virus.
The hospital was closed for a month because of to the pandemic and a severe shortage of hospital staff as a result of the illness. Slowly, services have returned and today, the hospital is busier than ever, thanks to a dedicated local staff as well as support from the Adventist hospitals in Colorado.
Many signs of God’s compassion and care were demonstrated during this difficult time. One of the imaging technicians, Alex Maytahuari, severely ill with COVID-19, spent a month in the ICU. His wife was also ill, but recovered quickly. Staff at the hospital, however, feared that Alex would not survive. Many prayers were offered on his behalf, and, thanks to God, Alex eventually regained his health and was discharged at the end of May. After further recuperation at home, Alex returned to work and is once again serving patients and extending the healing ministry of Christ to the people of Iquitos.
The pandemic has hit Peru hard, with one of the highest percentages of COVID-19 infections in the world. The city of Iquitos is now in recovery, but other parts of the country are experiencing huge challenges. A sister mission hospital in the south of the country, Clinica Americana, is currently suffering from the virus and some staff have recently died.
Millions of people around the world have suffered from COVID-19, including the reported largest number of victims in the United States. As Christians, we sympathize with those who suffer and those who have lost friends and family. But we also rejoice with those who have been healed.
—Greg Hodgson is director of Global Health Initiatives at Centura Health
