Monte Azul Medical-Therapeutic Health Center
The Monte Azul Medical-Therapeutic Health Center provides integrative and anthroposophic medical care in the Associação Comunitária Monte Azul, especially to the local, low-income population.[1] The multidisciplinary team has about 30 professionals, half of whom are volunteers. It says it provided more than 10,000 medical, therapeutic, and nursing consultations in 2019, 64% of which were free of charge.[1]
Residents of the region pay a token fee for consultations, and to subsidize these services, the clinic offers private consultations to the general public at a price lower than what is customary in anthroposophical institutions.[1]
Therapeutic spectrum[1]
- Consultations: General medicine, gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, dentistry, physiotherapy and speech therapy.
- Nursing interventions.
- Therapies: External therapies, art therapy, rhythmic massage, eurythmy therapy and biographical counseling.
- Lectures open to the public with health professionals.
- Self-help groups.
History
The medical-therapeutic outpatient clinic, founded in 1979, is the result of an initiative by Michael Blaich, an anthroposophic physician, who accepted the invitation of Ute Craemer and the staff of Monte Azul to create a therapeutic and medical movement in the favela, which at that time had no access to public health services. The first headquarters of the therapeutic center, a wooden building, was constructed by residents of the community. In 1985, the new headquarters, made of masonry, was inaugurated and remains today. Since 2016, as part of a partnership with the Unified Health System, assistant doctors from the national health service SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde) have accompanied the clinic's daily routine, learning anthroposophic medical practices as well.[1]