Associação Expedicionários da Saúde - EDS is a Brazilian non-profit organization created in 2003 by a group of volunteer doctors, which aims to bring specialized medicine, mainly surgical care, to indigenous populations that live isolated in the Brazilian Amazon. It is a complementary service to health care programs and aims to avoid the need to travel, not always feasible, for the patient and his family to urban centers.

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Qualified as an OSCIP (Civil Society Organization of Public Interest), Expedicionários da Saúde implemented the Operando na Amazônia Program in 2004 based on a partnership established with the institutions responsible for local health, as well as the Special Indigenous Sanitary District (DSEI), Secretariat of Indigenous Health ( SESAI- Ministry of Health- MS), Indigenous District Councils ( CONDISE- FUNAI ) and Ministry of Defense ( MS ).

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Mission:Bring specialized medical care, mainly surgical, to indigenous populations that live geographically isolated, with excellence in the quality of services and responsible management.

 

Vision:Create a reference model of specialized medical care for populations that live geographically isolated.

To serve populations that live far from surgical centers, the Health Expeditionaries developed a Mobile Surgical Center, adapted to their needs, transported and set up especially for this action. It is an innovative way of working, used for the first time in Brazil by a civil organization.

 

Until May 2018, 40 expeditions were carried out, with a total of 7,457 surgeries and 51,747 consultations. The largest number of surgeries occurs between the specialties of ophthalmology and general surgery, in addition to pediatric, orthopedic and gynecological surgeries of medium complexity. Clinical consultations are also provided in various specialties.  

 

In 2010, the Health Expeditionaries mobilized and carried out 7 SOS Haiti Expeditions to assist the victims of the earthquake that occurred in January in Haiti. 359 surgeries were performed and 1407 consultations were carried out from January to October, when 78 professionals were sent to the city of Les Cayes

 

In addition to volunteer physicians, Expedicionários da Saúde has the support of other professionals and institutions that help make its program viable, in addition to the sponsorship of socially responsible companies, institutions and individuals.