The Church advances health services in Chile and Paraguay – Church News

The Church of Latter-day Saints recently made medical contributions to organizations in Chile and Paraguay. By contributing to hospitals and clinics with new technology and equipment, families and individuals can receive quicker and more accurate diagnoses and receive the medical attention needed.

In Paraguay, the Church’s donation to Health Center No. 10 will enable the construction of a vaccination center and an emergency clinic; while in Chile, the contributions helped inaugurate the “Smiles of Heroes” center and modernize the Til Til Community Hospital, introducing advanced diagnostic tools and enhancing care for both pediatric and general patients.

These efforts collectively reflect the Church’s commitment to improving healthcare access and quality in communities while simultaneously underlining the importance of collaboration between the Church and the public health system, providing far-reaching benefits for the community.

In October 2024, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ donation of two fully equipped containers to Health Center No. 10 of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare in the Asunción, Paraguay. The containers were a vaccination center and an emergency clinic, according to the Church’s Paraguay Newsroom.

Also, dental equipment will now be provided as part of the center’s pediatric dentistry service thanks to the Church’s donation. In addition, ultrasound machines and wheelchairs were also donated.

Serving a population of nearly 20,800 people, Health Center No. 10 offers various medical specialties including internal medicine, ultrasound, pediatrics, gynecology, pap and colposcopy, prenatal care, family planning, dentistry, psychology, psychiatry, vaccinations and nursing.

On Nov. 1, a donation from the Church to the National Burn and Reconstructive Surgery Center in Asunción, Paraguay, will help with skin grafts for burn victims. The donation included two complete dermatome kits that are used the collect skin for the grafts. One kit has a 42 millimeter-wide dermatome for children and the other has an 80 millimeter-wide unit for adults.

The donation also included specialized tools for collecting skin grafts to improve reconstructive surgeries, especially for pediatric patients. This equipment will enable the hospital to boost both the quantity and quality of grafts, leading to shorter wait times and less harm to donor site, the Church’s Paraguay Newsroom reported.

Dr. Saúl Saputovich, the center’s director, said that the hospital previously had a partially functional dermatome, but with this new equipment, the hospital’s doctors can now perform more precise and less-invasive skin grafts, improving patient recovery.

On Nov. 4, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was part of the inauguration of the new Smiles of Heroes center in Santiago, Chile, and is a project led by the Deportistas por un Sueño Foundation, or Athletes for a Dream Foundation. The Smiles of Heroes facility was designed in support of children facing health complications by providing them with medical, psychological and recreational care in a positive and uplifting environment. According to the Chile Newsroom, the Church was also able to provide specialized wheelchairs as well as the needed equipment for a hydrotherapy pool.

Alvaro Elizalde, ministry of the general secretariat of the presidency; the Santiago Gov. Claudio Orrego; and Gonzalo Montoya, mayor of Macul, Chile, attended along with deputies, businessmen, artists and national athletes who all made significant contributions to the Athletes for a Dream Foundation. Sandra Corrales, the foundation’s president, voiced her gratitude to the Church for their donation, sharing how this center will provide support and hope to those families and children facing medical and health challenges.

Also on Nov. 4, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made way for than 19,000 residents to have access to ultrasound machine with artificial intelligence, dental X-ray equipment, and modern chairs and clinical modules. The Church donated the new additions to the Til Til Community Hospital. Til Til is about 60 km, or nearly 40 miles, northwest of Santiago.

Dr. Barbara Gonzalez, director of the hospital, said that the equipment will increase diagnosis speed and accuracy, Chile Newsroom reported. “It is a real change for our community. Before, the wait for a diagnosis could last weeks due to the need to transfer patients to Santiago. Today, we can offer immediate responses and timely treatments, improving the quality of life of our users,” she said.

Constanza Santander, a resident of the Til Til commune, or municipality, and currently in her fourth month of pregnancy, was one of the first to benefit from the new technology. “It is a great advance and one less thing to worry about, since an emergency can occur and we no longer have to travel to Santiago. I have had to travel many times to the capital to undergo tests that could not be done here. Now, knowing that I can receive the same care close to my home is a great relief,” Santander told the Chile Newsroom.