In order to reduce the rates of COVID-19 infections and protect local families, the residents join the strategy implemented by other communities of the Salar de Atacama with the support of SQM.
A medical team that attends the Talabre Rural Medical Station, home visits to positive COVID-19 patients, preventive quarantines, a sanitizing tunnel for public use and the fitting out of health shelters, are some of the initiatives with which the community fights on a daily basis the pandemic. “It is very important for the town of Talabre to have a medical team, since we are a community a bit hit in this regard. The virus has hit us hard, but we are getting ahead hand in hand with the organization that we have created as community members, ”explained Elisa Soza, president of the Atacameña Indigenous Community of Talabre. He added that "today we can say that we have not detected more infections in our community and that we are much more prepared to face this virus." With the support of SQM, a contribution is generated that aims to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and support the town with supplies. This, through preventive actions, sanitization, protection and provision of medical teams to combat the virus in a prompt and timely manner. Angela Valerio, a local general practitioner, stressed that “Talabre is a complicated community with respect to the health area due to its remoteness. People do not have greater options for medical care. For this reason, the help seems perfect to me and that these synergies are generated with private companies. So we can do and do our part to better cope with this pandemic situation ”. Regarding the above, Alejandro Bucher, Vice President of Environment and Community of SQM Salar, highlighted that “this is part of a collaborative agreement that was born from the community with the aim of supporting the different locations of the Salar during the pandemic. With this, we have the conviction to help with supplies, medical equipment and sanitation measures, both within our operations and outside of them, and thus contribute positively to our neighbors. Today we continue to strengthen our sanitary measures and, increasing the provision of medical teams available in the different locations of the Salar ”. SANITARY ACTIONS More than 30 people from Talabre have been treated by the medical team. Of these, some have been carried out through home visits and others are medical care for children, young people and the elderly in the rural post of the town. Added to this is the complete fitting out of a health shelter for positive COVID-19 patients in the community. “This residence was built in order to support community members who have tested positive for PCR and cannot quarantine in their homes. This is very important for the community, since here there are large families with children to protect. With this, we are going to avoid the increase in infections and we will assure the neighbors a place where they can safely quarantine ”, commented Abigail Lique, coordinator of the Talabre Atacameña Indigenous Community Tourism Team. For her part, the local general practitioner indicated that “we are currently working throughout the day and at night we take emergency shifts. We will do so until December. Last week we started with the home visits of COVID-19 positive patients and, this week, we have been attending all types of medical consultations. Today we continue to treat different pathologies and we will also have the visit of a medical round that comes from San Pedro de Atacama with more specialized professionals ”.
