Costa Rica Health News – Primary care technicians in some dangerous areas of Costa Rica have had to make an adjustment to the equipment they carry on house calls. They still bring the scales and apparatus to measure blood pressure, but they are also carrying pepper spray.
This is what the technicians in San Pablo de Barva are facing, because they have faced attacks. Some of the people in the neighborhood have even thrown dogs over the fence at them.
This seems uncalled for since these professionals are there to help. They are required to make an at home checkup annually in each of the at risk towns in the country. At this time they collect health information and give reminders about things like immunizations and pap smears.
One of the challenges they face is that many people are not home during the day. The other is that people do not want to get these visits. Out of every 40 homes they are allowed into only 10.
The reason behind these visits is because the communities are most at risk because of the population, amount of children and levels of diabetes and domestic violence.
Each at risk zone must make a strategy to ensure these visits.
