David Rondan* lies on the isolation ward and urgently needs oxygen, also he needs IV antibiotics and breath exercises. In his treatment, the warm bed also plays an important role.
His home is an Adobe house in a suburb of Curahuasi. As so many of his neighbors, he cannot afford window glass. The holes in the walls are sealed with plastic tarpaulins scantily. If at night the temperatures falls, the cold creeps in every corner of his hut.
Last week he helped some friends in the firewood search. Fore three days they were on the move. After sunset, they found shelter in a small hut. The Quechua Indian soon suffered from cough and high fever. Diagnosis: Acute pneumonia. When he was admitted to our hospital last Friday his oxygen saturation had dropped to 70% (Normally more than 95%).
In his hospital bed it is warm and cozy. David has a good change of recovery. However his living conditions at home will be the same. Unfortunately our patient is not an isolated case but just one example of millions who live in the mountains of Peru. *Name changed
