Doctors for Global Health (DGH) is excited to welcome Dr. Amilcar Alexis Granados Arriaza to the La Asociación de Campesinos para el Desarrollo Humano (CDH) clinical team. His compassion and empathic care are a sight to behold.
Dr. Granados was raised in a poor, rural part of Morazán in El Salvador as part of a large family. Growing up, he didn’t dream of becoming a doctor and first worked in construction. But one day, his 2-year-old niece was weak and barely responsive, unable to say anything beyond “Tío” (uncle). He did not know what was happening or what to do and feared he might lose her. At that moment, he decided he needed to become a physician. Despite coming from a disadvantaged area and without resources to pay for medical school, Dr. Granados did not give up. He looked hard for options, finally learning that there were scholarships to study medicine in Cuba. Because El Salvador did not have a Cuban embassy at the time, he traveled to Guatemala to apply, studying hard for the Cuban exams and interviews.
In 2009, Dr. Granados was selected for the competitive scholarship and traveled to Cuba. The first few months away from home were challenging, but the image of his niece weak in his arms kept him going. After six and a half years, Dr. Granados returned to El Salvador to complete his final year of clinical training. This year took place in his hometown clinic, which was a blessing for him. It was a far cry from the hospitals where he had trained. Still, he found great joy and fulfillment in helping his community become healthier and learning from practicing physicians.
Dr. Granados’s passion for helping those in need only grew. After finishing his training, he continued working for the Ministry of Health in poor, remote areas. Working with limited resources, he found himself assisting births by the side of the road, moving people via hammock, and caring for patients with severe, untreated chronic diseases.
We asked Dr. Granados a few questions:
How did you come to join CDH and DGH?
Laughing, Dr. Granados shares that the previous doctor at CDH kept telling him, “Usted es el indicado.” He was the right doctor for the job. After helping provide coverage at CDH a few times, Dr. Granados joined and now provides compassionate, comprehensive, high-quality care for community members of all ages.
What is the biggest challenge you face at the clinic?
Dr. Granados shares that the biggest challenge is the increasing burden of chronic illness among patients in the community. As the lifestyle changes, with more processed foods, undetected chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure become more common. Patients find out they have diabetes at a very late stage when they arrive at the hospital with life-threatening ketoacidosis or after they’ve already started losing their vision. Dr. Granados notes that creating awareness around chronic illness and healthy lifestyle choices is crucial, particularly for youth.
What brings you the most joy?
With a smile in his voice, Dr. Granados quickly responds by highlighting accompanying people when they need it, making a difference with little, and working in the community making home visits.
What is your hope for the community?
He hopes for better health and that the clinic will always be there for the community. In addition to providing medical care, he sees the clinic as a space where children and older adults can find a sense of community.
What is your hope for your family?
For his family, he hopes that God will continue giving them health and life and that he and his wife can continue seeing their children grow up. He hopes to someday specialize in internal medicine.
Dr. Granados’s niece is now a university student. He later learned that she was in shock due to dehydration, saved when his grandmother took her to a physician. While he has told many family members and friends, he hasn’t yet told his niece that she is the reason he became a doctor. After a brief pause, he says he might just tell her!