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 LML
volunteers travel to Lithuania to coordinate programs, meet with health care
professionals, and visit hospitals and clinics. We focus on outreach programs
and partnerships with Lithuania’s healthcare initiatives to help Lithuania on
its road to self-sufficiency. Whenever possible, we support healthcare
needs in rural areas and smaller towns as well as the metropolitan areas.
Equally important is promoting health education to keep Lithuanians healthy and
prevent costly care.
Tuberculosis Prevention and Treatment
Since 1990, LML has invested heavily in TB treatment by purchasing TB medicine
and test kits that treated over 13,000 adults and children throughout Lithuania.
The majority of the children treated are orphans. Lithuania must continue to
respond forcefully to the aggressive global spread of new strains of TB.
As recently as March 2007, LML has purchased TB medicines for the Tuberculosis
and Lung Disease Hospital in Šiauliai and the Children’s TB Hospital in
Vilnius.
 Breast
Cancer Prevention
In
the United States, it is customary for women over the age of forty to receive
annual mammograms for early detection of breast cancer. In Lithuania, many
women have not yet received a single mammogram. For many years, access to
free mammograms was limited to women who were referred by a physician or were
over the age of 50. Otherwise, women were charged approximately 50 LTL
($19 US), (monthly minimum wage, 300-500 LTL) for the procedure at public
clinics. Private diagnostic centers performed analyses for 100 to 1,000
LTL. In 2007, Lithuania’s health care system began to provide free
mammograms to all women between 49 and 60 years of age. Nevertheless,
women in small towns and rural areas often lack transportation to mammography
facilities that provide free testing.
LML Annual Mammogram Program
Without education and timely screening, Lithuania’s survival statistics were
dismal with as many as one in two women tested dying from the disease. LML
first responded by distributing pamphlets promoting early screening. Next,
LML initiated an annual free screening program in 2003. LML coordinates free
transportation, courtesy of the local governments, to bring women from smaller
towns and rural areas to oncology centers in Vilnius, Klaipėda, Šiauliai,
Panevežys and Kaunas. Special provisions are made to accommodate women with
disabilities. From 2003-2006 this project provided screening mammograms to over
1,300 women annually, diagnosing several women in time for life-saving
treatment. To date, this program reached over 5,200 disadvantaged women
across Lithuania from these cities, districts and surrounding regions:
Adomynė, Akmenė, Anykščiai, Ariogala, Avižėnai, Avižai, Babtai, Balsiai, Biržai,
Dagiliškis, Dambrava, Didžašalis, Didžioji Riešė, Diliauskai, Dolmenkava,
Dominikova, Eišiškis, Elektrėnai, Ežerskė, Garliava, Gipiškaičiai, Griešiai,
Grigiškė, Jonava, Joniškis, Jurbarkas, Kaišiadorys, Kalneliškis, Kaunas,
Kėdainiai, Kelmė, Klaipėda, Kretinga, Krinčinas, Kudirkos Naujmiestis, Kupiškis,
Lazdijai, Lentvaris, Maišiagala, Makiškėliai, Mažeikiai, Meškaliauskis,
Molainiai, Molėtai, Naujoji Akmenė, Nemenčinė, Neringa, Nureonys, Paberžė,
Palanga, Pakruojis, Panevėžys, Pandelys, Pasvalys, Paupėniai, Plungė, Prienai,
Radviliškis, Ramygala, Raseiniai, Raubonys, Raudondvaris, Rokiškis, Šalčininkai,
Saločiai, Saločkoniai, Šakiai, Šilalė, Šiauliai, Šilainiai, Šilutė, Širvinta,
Skaidiškė, Skuodas, Švenčionys, Švenčionėliai, Tauragė, Telšiai, Ukmergė, Utena,
Vaišvydava, Vilnius, Vilkaviškis, Visaginis, Vistyčiai, Žibartoniai, Žilpamušis,
Zujūnai and many small neighboring villages.
LML’s initiative inspired other similar outreach programs such as Avon’s breast
cancer programs and Nedelsk! (Don’t Delay!) to also travel widely across
Lithuania’s countryside to thirty-one towns and villages, supported by our
active participation.
Recognizing the lack of adequate healthcare access among recently immigrated
Lithuanian women in Chicago, LML arranges for the Cook County Mammogram bus to
provide free testing and screening at the Balzekas Museum in Chicago.
2007 SPA Day Fundraiser
Plans were underway to continue the program in May 2007 by screening
approximately 1,300 more disadvantaged women across Lithuania. The
Nijole Lucia Salon in Oak Lawn, Illinois hosted a second annual SPA
Day on May 20, 2007. Nijole and her staff volunteered their
services; the proceeds will be donated to support this cause.
Newborn Care
Since 1991, LML has coordinated an exchange program led by Dr. Vidyasagar,
Director of Neonatology at the University of Illinois (UIC). Teams of
physicians, nurses and other medical staff from UIC have traveled to Lithuania
to present workshops and demonstrate state of the art techniques in both Vilnius
and Kaunas hospitals. In addition, UIC invited Lithuania’s physicians to
Neonatology and Perinatology seminars series. In 2004, UIC physicians
attended the Developmental and Follow-Up Seminar for premature birth infants at
the Vilnius University Children’s Hospital and visited the Children’s
Rehabilitation Center. This important joint program has improved the level
of care and Lithuania's infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates have
declined. LML has continued to support an ongoing relationship between
the UIC health care professionals and Lithuania’s health care providers.
Health Education
Prevention is a powerful tool to improve health and avoid costly treatment.
AIDS
The
global crisis of HIV/AIDS has spread to Lithuania. LML has been a leader
in education by establishing HIV/AIDS community prevention programs, sponsoring
seminars, publishing the manual “Community HIV/AIDS Prevention” in Lithuanian,
and helping to set up an AIDS Consultation Center in Klaipėda, a very high risk
area. In 2004, LML helped to start a shelter in Šiauliai and to coordinate
the European conference “Europe and HIV/AIDS” in Vilnius.
Public Health
Through LML’s initiative in 1998, primary schools in Klaipėda received the UIC
Healthcare Curriculum for students in Primary Education (grades K through 8).
Children are taught good hygiene practices and are encouraged to live healthy,
drug-free lifestyles. The curriculum for secondary schools includes HIV/AIDS
prevention. LML remains committed to implementing this program nationwide
in Lithuania’s schools. In 2004, the Mariampolė region consulted with LML
to implement the curriculum in their schools.
Diabetes
In
2005, LML developed a relationship with the Lithuanian Diabetes Association (LDA)
www.dia.lt. This organization serving 5,000 members across Lithuania,
supports diabetics in living a full life through education, insulin, medication
and diet. Supported by funds from LML’s 15th year anniversary gala benefit
in 2005 and the 2006 Lottery, the LDA was able to expand their instructional
camp program for juvenile diabetics and buy screening kits for their diabetes
awareness program.
Medical Equipment and Upgraded Facilities
LML
strives to make the most of the existing hospital resources by providing
necessary medical equipment and upgrading facilities. LML worked with the
Ona Kutkaitė-Durbin Fund to continue improvements to Jurbarkas Hospital.
In 2004, LML helped to renovate the Gargždu Hospital pediatric wing and funded
therapeutic programs and vocational training at the Šveksna center for youth
with emotional disturbances. In the same year, LML purchased essential
blood analyzers and sterilizers for Ariogala and Jurbarkas Hospitals. In
2005, LML assisted in renovating the ventilation system at the Panevežys
Algimanto Bandzos Home for Infants and Children and purchased an ultrasound and
electro-therapy equipment for Šakiai Hospital. In 2007, LML purchased an
autoclave and urine analyzer for Ariogala Hospital and a microscope for the
Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Hospital in Šiauliai.
Pharmaceuticals and Reagents
Christian Relief Services provides a generous monthly donation to purchase
laboratory reagents, the chemicals necessary to process laboratory tests.
LML works through a Lithuanian company, Instrumentation Laboratories, which
rotates the distribution among hospitals throughout Lithuania. Recent
distributions have included Pasvalio Pirmeninis Sveikatos Centras and Kelmės
Hospital in Žemaitija.
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