In 8 years, he has made a significant difference for Diospi Suyana and the Apurímac region
From September 3 to 5, the 3rd Peruvian Congress on Angiology, Vascular Surgery, and Endovascular Surgery took place at the Sonesta Hotel in the capital city of Lima. 120 vascular surgeons were in attendance. Dr. Thomas Tielmann had 15 minutes to present his experiences from the past 8 years at Diospi Suyana Hospital. The audience was deeply impressed that a colleague with such a strong educational background would dedicate his skills to serving the poor rural population—and do so without any profit motive.
The following figures speak for themselves. There are 470 vascular surgeons in Lima. That works out to one vascular surgeon for every 22,000 residents.
For the rest of Peru, there are only 83 vascular surgeons. That is, 1 vascular surgeon for every 291,000 residents.
Dr. Tielmann is the only vascular surgeon in the state of Apurímac. That works out to a ratio of 1:430,000 (Apurímac’s population).
You don’t get rich as a missionary doctor, but you find fulfillment. Even though the 120 surgeons showed Dr. Tielmann respect, it seems none of them would ever want to trade places with the German. Ultimately, Peruvian medicine is all about money, and who would want to lead a life of such self-sacrifice as this devout Christian from Europe? /KDJ
