C-Urge project is a doctoral network set up to research and better understand the complexity of climate and enviromental change, that is happening on global, as well as on a local scale.
Through various research approaches set in various countries, we aim to highlight the notion of urgency and need to enrich the debate around the topic of environemtal change, that is both fast, and subtle and poses a serious challenge for the future.
This essay supports an upcoming discussion of how COVID-19 is unfolding in Ecuador and a broader discussion within the Transnational STS COVID-19 project.
Image created with the use of a free image by Crystal Mirallegro (Unsplash website) for Ecuador's covid19 place essay
A research Center at the University of Cuenca with the collaboration of FLACSO-Ecuador
Technical professionals can make use of this study as a basis of how cultral competnce should be viewed in a healthcare workplace. TO determine the needs of the patients, physicians and higher ups use culture and their expertice to determine a proper patient-physician relationship.
This study has travelled worldwide. It has been cited in other government websites, in other epilogical studies to support why diease spreads after flooding. It is used to support preparation for natural disasters. It has been cited by worldwide health officials in their health journals.
The article addresses emergency response because it involves violence that can occur on an emergency scene, it invovles the safety of EMTS as well as the patient.
The actors that the article refer to is the healthcare workers, those who have experienced this violence. Those who feel that their perogitive to help others (and to do their jobs) is greater than 'offering themselves up' to the people of these tribes who feel that they are doing more harm then good. Another actor is people from the villages who describe what has happened. The discovery of these murdered healthcare workers and their opinions on the Ebola workers- they do not want them near their tribes at all. Outside worldwide coordinators also comment on the tradegies of the death and the affects it has on the treatment of Ebola. The Red Cross is also an actor, their workers were afraid/chased by locals due to wearing "Ebola gear".
I found hearing the patients' stories and the doctor's effort to help others even though there was no resources to be most persuasive and compelling because despite the fact that both patient and doctor knew that long term care was slim they both tried to have hope in treatment, the patient's prayed for recovery, while the doctors pulled strings to get patients who really needed the care or the shelter to be a priority. I found it inspiring that even in a messed up system both parties tried to make the best of the situation.
This audio was sent by Manuel Maiche, community leader of Kuamar, part of the Shuar territory in Ecuador.