Remote Medical International® founder and CEO Andrew Cull is a man of many missions. Spin a globe and chances are your finger will land on a country in Cull’s itinerary.
On 7 June, the country was Guatemala, and the mission involved maternal healthcare. The Team 5 Foundation—a medical missions non-profit co-founded by Cull—returned to Guatemala with five volunteers in tow. Together, Team 5 targeted five villages around Ak’Tenamit, an indigenous development community based in Eastern Guatemala, and provide invaluable medical services and training to locals free of cost.
“I believe in the hierarchy of needs,†said Cull. “Without access to healthcare, we can’t expect people to innovate, organize, or develop.â€
Team 5 volunteers—all of whom have specialized medical degrees and experience working in remote areas—picked up where they left off earlier this year by teaching and mentoring locals in western medicine. Backed by generous donations and Remote Medical International, Team 5 focused on Guatemala’s skyrocketing maternal health rate during their 10-day deployment.
With help from Team 5 and a handful of other non-profits, Ak’Tenamit, which means “New Village†in the Q’eqchi’ language, is already living up to its name.
“Team 5 has been able to do great things for the Mayans in Guatemala who lack access to healthcare or healthcare education,†said Cull. “We now have thirty locals in the area responding to emergencies.â€
After Team 5’s June deployment, many more Guatemalans now have the skills, ability, and self-sufficiency to provide and safely deliver babies while reducing maternal deaths.
Please consider joining Remote Medical International in support of the Team 5 Foundation through a donation. Any and all funds will help stock local clinics with medicine and pay for the gas that allows Guatemalan healthcare providers to respond to emergencies via boat. Check out Team 5 on Facebook to learn more about future deployments and volunteer opportunities.
