About the Campaign
When completed, the Arévalo Missional Hospital will be the third facility in the Bethesda Healthcare System, Peru Mission’s medical ministry network, to minister to impoverished communities in northern Peru. We believe that healthcare is a fundamental need of the poor and under-served, and we have learned that having health care providers work side-by-side with the pastors and deacons of our congregations allows us to fulfill the Great Commission in word and deed as we demonstrate Christ’s compassion to those who are in need of healing.
Initially, the Arévalo Hospital will provide not only general medical care to patients, but also services in dentistry and laboratory diagnostics. Perhaps most importantly, the Arévalo Hospital will provide maternal and infant care currently largely unavailable to the women and children in and around the Arévalo district.
Why maternal and infant care?
Peru has an incredibly high infant mortality rate. According to the World Health Organization, the under-five-years-old mortality rate per 1000 live births in Peru is 24 (2.4%), compared to the South American average of 18 and the U.S. average of eight. Even more tragic, while among the wealthiest 20% of the population the under-five-years-old mortality rate is 3.1%, among the poorest 20% the rate increases to 6.3%. One clear cause of this discrepancy can be seen in the number of births attended by "skilled health personnel": among the wealthiest 20% of the population, 100% of live births are attended by skilled health personnel, but among the poorest 20% that rate falls to a deplorable 28%. Through this project we are directly responding to a clear lack of adequate facilities for treating common childhood diseases and providing maternal care to the poorest communities in Peru.
How did you select the location for the hospital?
Originally designed by the local government as a community for public employees, the Manuel Arévalo district is a dynamic township on the outskirts of the northern city of Trujillo, where our mission efforts are centered. Despite the area's recent growth in size, there has been a noticeable lack of corresponding growth in health care services, as well as a lack of Christ-centered churches ministering to the spiritual needs of the community.
When will you begin construction on the hospital?
Now that Bethesda Clinic in the Wichanzao district, the first facility in our medical ministry network, is completed and fully functional, we are ready to begin construction on the Arévalo Hospital in earnest. Our goal is to begin building the first floor of the hospital by the end of 2012. We will begin caring for patients as soon as construction on the first floor is complete.
How much will it cost?
We estimate that the total cost of the project will be $709,200 and have divided the construction into two phases. In Phase One we will complete the construction of the first floor and begin operating as a primary care clinic. In Phase Two we will build two additional floors and prepare them for full functional use. We will begin construction once we receive the funds necessary to complete and operate the primary clinic on the first floor. We estimate that this will cost $242,500.
How can I help?
There are many ways for you to partner with us in this important project. You can donate directly to the building fund by sponsoring a room or purchasing a paver, commit to a recurring gift toward the operation of the hospital, or give toward the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies. For more information, please visit our How Can I Help page. You can also donate now, or contact Dale Ellison, our medical ministry director, at daleellison@perumission.org.
Checks may be sent to
Christian Missionary Society
P.O. Box 53361
Knoxville, TN 37950
Our special thanks go to Nathan Henderson, who graciously permitted us to use his photographs for this campaign.
