"Some doctors in Peru are simply not using masks, dresses, covers," Dr. Gordillo says. "There are not a lot of tests. There are not a lot of doctors. Nobody knows who is infected and who is not. Also, hospitals don't have ventilator equipment." The coronavirus is putting an extraordinary strain on all medical systems, but particularly ones that were less strong to begin with.
Ordinary people feel the strain too, Dr. Gordillo said. Peru recently placed severe limits on people's activity in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Men can go out only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Women can go out Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. People can only go out for essentials like food and medicine. No one can go out on Sundays.
"Because of the isolation requirement, and because mothers are recovering from birth, and because they can't take the babies to go out to get supplies, finding diapers, milk, and all is an extra hassle," said Dr. Gordillo. "In the hospitals, mothers have limited contact with their newborns because of virus control measures. Many babies could be infected but we do not know."
If Dr. Gordillo gets infected she might not have access to the type of medical care she needs, but she's continuing to help because she knows how important vision is to the life of these babies.
Dr. Gordillo is a hero that Orbis is proud to have on our team.
Emergency work continues, but only with the help of supporters like you. Please join us in the urgent fight to help save sight in these difficult times.