Overview

As the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Nicaragua suffers immensely from a deficiency in available medical care. Many of the rural communities do not have local health care facilities and they cannot afford the treatment that is offered in the cities. The Clinic is named after Roberto Clemente—a major league baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1955 to 1972—who died in an airplane crash while aiding a medical airlift for the victims of a devastating Nicaragua earthquake. Launched in 2004, the Clinic is the creation of generous donations from private individuals, the volunteer efforts of the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh, The Oxford Club, and the Granados Family who donated the land. This 2,750 square foot facility is staffed by a team of medical professionals who are all accredited by the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health. The Roberto Clemente Health Clinic helps over 30,000 people per year through general and emergency care, minor surgery, dentistry, lab work, a fully stocked pharmacy, and innovative programs and projects. The opening of our clinic means an expectant mother who lives in Limón and the 27 surrounding communities can easily access necessary prenatal care. It means an injured worker can quickly get safe, efficient medical treatment and prescriptions. It means the residents of Limón can have a neighborhood doctor who can treat emergencies like allergic reactions, lacerations and asthma attacks, or even perform routine medical exams and testing. In recent years, we have been able to expand our capabilities to include preventative health education and promotion of healthy lifestyles. In addition to providing training at the clinic, we have a growing outreach program that allows to us provide education to local school children. The potential benefits of The Roberto Clemente Health Clinic are limitless. Thanks to the generous donations of our supporters, we have been able to provide excellent support to these deserving Nicaraguans.