Health advice to augment services at Mexican Consulate

Jul 27, 2010 — The News and Observer

Mandy Locke

Jul. 27, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- RALEIGH -- Mexicans living in North Carolina will soon find unexpected advice when visiting the consulate in Raleigh.

Get your blood pressure checked. Make sure you see a gynecologist, and check for lumps in your breast.

El Pueblo, a Latino advocacy organization, signed a contract Monday with the Consul General of Mexico to teach those visiting the consulate how to access preventive health care. The program is funded by the Mexican government.

"If we do not provide them with information, they will be more vulnerable and also a weakness in the medical system that takes care of them," said Carlos Flores Vizcarra, consul general of Mexico assigned to North Carolina and South Carolina.

More than 500,000 Mexican immigrants are estimated to live in the Carolinas. In North Carolina, they make up more than 70 percent of Latino immigrants, Vizcarra said.

A similar program is offered at consulates across the country, as Mexican officials acknowledge that those coming to the U.S. often become ill with diseases that become critical.

In recent years, the rate of diabetes has soared among Mexicans living in the U.S. Researchers cite poor eating habits adopted when they arrive. And Mexican immigrants who develop breast cancer have an unusually high mortality rate because patients wait too long to seek care.

"They wait until it's an emergency," said Florence M. Siman, director of health programs for El Pueblo.

Three mornings a week, an El Pueblo staff member will meet with immigrants at the consulate's Yonkers Road office, which sees more than 300 visitors a day. The El Pueblo representative will talk to them about how and where to get care, referring them to health departments and free clinics. El Pueblo will also collect feedback from visitors with hopes of completing a health care needs assessment for the area.

Siman said Mexican immigrants face barriers that keep them from getting care before a health crisis. Common hurdles include transportation, language barriers, cost of care, hours of operation and fear of being deported.

The El Pueblo representative will try to tackle those barriers by explaining what immigrants can expect when they visit a clinic. Staff members will follow up with them a few weeks after the visit to make sure they received the care they sought.

Vizcarra said his office has and will continue to partner with health care providers to offer specialized treatment to Mexicans living in the Carolinas. He sponsored an H1N1 vaccine clinic last year with a hospital in Charlotte and anticipates more programs like that in the coming years.

"The health of a small group in the community is very important because it affects the health of the whole community," Vizcarra said.

mandy.locke@newsobserver.com or 919-829-8927

Newstex ID: KRTB-0170-47357879