Historically, the Mexican population living in rural areas has been the most excluded from all kinds of services such as health. On many occasions they do not have equipped hospitals and this implies having to travel to other places and losing valuable time. For this reason, one of the alternatives was the creation of the IMSS-BIENESTAR, which has indigenous doctors or those who speak other languages to communicate with the inhabitants.
With this in mind, to date it has more than 1,600 bilingual professionals who speak Spanish and one or more mother tongues. For this reason, they carry out community action tasks in different regions of the country and that they are a bridge of great importance with the majority indigenous population, said Dr. Froilán Esquinca Cano, coordinator of Community Action.
Where are they?
On the occasion of the International Mother Language Day, which is commemorated every February 21, he pointed out that approximately six thousand languages are spoken in the world and that in Mexico the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) has identified 69 languages, among which which include Nahuatl, Maya, Mixteco, Zapotec and Tzeltal, among others.
He indicated that in 15 of the 19 entities that have the presence of IMSS-BIENESTAR medical units and hospitals, one or more mother tongues are spoken, and of the 11.6 million people served, more than four million are indigenous.
“Much of the work that is done is to generate information that is built with the medical area and epidemiologists to know the main conditions that may exist in each region. Derived from that, we make messages that are translated into languages with the support of INPI, with which we have a very close relationship.”
The Community Action coordinator explained that, in 2022, the theme of International Mother Language Day is “the use of technology for multilingual learning: challenges and opportunities”, for which the intercultural training work will be strengthened with the use of technologies, which were used to bring work closer to remote communities and to care for the population due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In addition to reinforcing information, education and communication strategies through almost a million and a half leaflets, triptychs, painting of fences and 871 thousand messages through loudspeakers in vehicles. To communicate, we have used innovative mechanisms that allowed both recording and translations with the INPI and its radio stations, as well as allies of the radio, the networks and the use of the personal devices of each promoter and supervisor who, together with the volunteers, generated more than two million 600 thousand messages on WhatsApp in 2021. This made it possible to bring information about prevention on issues such as maternal death to the Health Committees, where we recognize midwives, who are binding, as traditional doctors and this approach allows us to generate support networks ”.
The importance of teamwork
Dr. Esquinca Cano pointed out that, although it is a challenge to incorporate technologies in communities, the use of information, education and communication strategies are tools that have made it possible to achieve rapid and effective communication with Community Action technicians, promoters and supervisors, since in turn, with hospital promoters and zonal groups that work with medical, nursing and nutrition personnel.
In addition, he said, virtual seminars and training have been carried out for the population to prepare face masks, alcohol gel and liquid soap for hand hygiene, in joint work with community organizations that support preventive work.
He pointed out that for the population served by IMSS-BIENESTAR, including indigenous populations, there is a Comprehensive Health Care Model (MAIS) with Primary Health Care, medical care and community action with the participation of volunteer personnel, to in order to provide preventive and medical services of first and second level of attention, as well as the promotion of the participation of the communities in the self-care of their health and their environment.