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About Us
Our Services
What does Centro Medico Humberto Parra provide?
Free primary care (including general medicine, gynecology and pediatrics)
Free dental and ophthalmology services
Free medication
Free infirmary and emergency care
Health education programs, hypertension and diabetes control support groups, an anti-parasite program and a vaccination program
Funds surgeries such as hysterectomies, kidney transplants, gallbladder removals, joint replacements and pacemaker insertions
A volunteer program for American and Bolivian physicians, nurses, medical students and other healthcare workers
Who We Are
Centro Medico Humberto Parra is a community medical clinic located in the rain forest in eastern Bolivia, 72 miles outside of Santa Cruz, the largest city in the country.
Our goal is to improve the health and overall quality of life of the surrounding communities by providing first-rate medical care and other health services. It is the only free medical clinic in the surrounding 40,000 person area.
The Daniels Hamant Foundation of River Forest, IL funds and helps manage Centro Medico. The Daniels Hamant Foundation relies exclusively on private donations, and the Centro Medico Humberto Parra is heavily dependent on volunteer physicians and healthcare workers from the US and Bolivia.
A Moment in Time
July 2000
Milton Parra owned thousands of acres of land throughout the countryside near Santa Cruz. The land was largely used for agricultural purposes. In 2000, Milton Parra's health was failing him. He was a patient of Centro Medico Director Dr. Douglas Villarroel, a well-respected Endocrinologist in Santa Cruz. Mr. Parra talked with Dr. Villarroel about dedicating his land to help the Bolivian people and to fight the destruction of the Bolivian rain forest.
Dr. Villarroel decided to make a call to his American friend, Dr. Susan Hou, knowing of her interest in preserving the environment in Bolivia. Dr. Hou traveled to Bolivia to look at the land. Dr. Villarroel and Dr. Hou discussed building a free medical clinic for the poor on a portion of Parra's land and ensuring that further deforestation on any donated land would not occur. Liking their idea, Milton Parra agreed to donate property and asked that it be named after his father. This was the beginning of Centro Medico Humberto Parra.
Disease Spotlight
Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is a virus transmitted by mosquito and one of the most common infectious diseases in tropical areas. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and rashes....Read More
Diabetes
Diabetes is a primary health concern in Bolivia, particularly in the department of Santa Cruz where Centro Medico is located. Nearly 11% of the local population has diabetes compared to 5% in US....Read More
Chagas Disease
More than 10 million Latin Americans are infected with Trypanasoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease. Chagas is a disease of poverty and most often afflicts populations like the one served by Centro Medico....Read More
Copyright © 2007 Daniels Hamant Foundation