San Sebastian Health Center:
The Foundation's initial activities let to the founding of San Sebastian, FCC’s health center in 1981. Today, the health center offers a variety of medical services, including medical attention, dentistry and ambulatory services, and runs a laboratory and pharmacy. The health center primarily serves the poorest population living in the city of El Alto, and the cost of preventative services are free-of-charge as they are covered by costs associated with treatment for existing medical conditions.
In addition, the San Sebastian health center implements the “Maternal and Common Illness Free Insurance” in partnership with 6 other institutions. This insurance is financed through the private banks’ health insurance annual surplus, and is implemented and delivered by FCC at the San Sebastian health center, which conducts family evaluations to identify those eligible for program affiliation. The insurance benefits children of large, poor families between the ages of 0 and 19 and offers free primary health care services as well as referrals to one of the six associated hospitals for secondary or tertiary care. The medical insurance program began in 1999 and undergoes modification every three to five years.
San Sebastian is one of a variety of FCC projects, but it has become its cornerstone because the health components of other projects are provided by San Sebastian. These projects are:
- Casa Esperanza: Shelters terminal patients
- Hogar San Martin: Assisted living facility for the elderly which includes medical unit inside
- Daycare: Four daycares provide low-cost services for children between the ages of 0 and 7 and focus on early childhood education
- Casa del Niño: Transitional home for physically or mentally abused children
- Casa David: Home for handicapped children
- HIV/AIDS Project: Workshops are provided in schools regarding HIV/AIDS. At the conclusion of the workshop leaders from the groups are chosen to later form their own groups and are responsible for distributing educative materials, conducting their own trainings in schools, festivals, etc.
All individuals benefitting from these projects receive health trainings, psychological care, spiritual guidance and health care through the medical team that periodically assists patients at other centers refers them to them San Sebastian health center.
Finally, the FCC continues its spiritual, health, and nutrition trainings for different parish groups, and especially for the mothers of children participating in the insurance program.
