History

A few times a year, a group of friends—mostly doctors—organized outdoor hikes. The group had the chance to visit a Yanomami indigenous hamlet in the year 2002 when they traveled to the Pico da Neblina Mountain in the state of Amazonas.
The group decided to transform their journeys into healthcare expeditions focused on providing primary to tertiary health care services for the numerous indigenous tribes within the Brazilian Legal Amazon zone after being astounded by a world that was very different from the one they knew.

They sought out the organizations in charge of local healthcare in order to better understand how medical services operated in the territory and to prepare effective participation. As a result, the EDS Association was formally established in 2003.
The “Operating in the Amazon” Program was born out of the first hiking trips that eventually evolved into yearly medical expeditions into indigenous communities in the Brazilian Amazon region.

About us

The non-profit EDS was founded in Brazil in 2003 by a group of volunteer physicians. Its primary goal is to deliver medical treatment, including surgical care, to disadvantaged populations in the Brazilian Legal Amazon.

We provide services in addition to the current indigenous health care programs through the “Operating in the Amazon” program. The organization conducts three trips annually with the goal of preventing the costly and unpleasant practice of relocating patients and their families to urban areas.

The disciplines of general surgery and ophthalmology do the most operations. However, moderately complicated gynecological, orthopedic, and pediatric procedures are also available. In addition to this work, the team provides medical consultations in a variety of specialties, including dentistry, pediatrics, gynecology, orthopedics, and ophthalmology.

Since its founding in 2003, EDS has provided services to a demographic region the size of France. All services are provided without cost. EDS relies on the assistance of other experts and organizations in addition to its volunteer doctors in order to sustain its program. Our work cannot continue without the support of organizations, people, and socially conscious businesses.

Our Mobile Surgical Center

The group’s ability to deliver surgical care to isolated and inaccessible regions is made possible by the utilization of a contemporary Mobile Surgical Center. 20 tons of equipment, medical supplies, and medication are delivered from Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo state, to the furthest reaches of the Brazilian Legal Amazon territory with each new expedition of the “Operating in the Amazon” project. EDS has created a ground-breaking and distinctive technology in the area of public health to enable this.

EDS volunteer engineers devote resources to the creation and implementation of innovative technologies that increase the effectiveness of our Mobile Surgical Center. The pioneering initiative in Brazil, which consists of tents made to fit the requirements of the forest, incorporates concepts that reduce contamination and boost the effectiveness of the surgical environment in addition to making installation and disassembly easier and faster. The Surgical Center has a higher thermal efficiency, which also makes it possible to transport the cargo in modules and significantly reduces its overall weight.

Two ophthalmology operating rooms, two operating rooms, one minor treatment room, a lounge area for doctors, a patient waiting area, a locker room, and a Utensils and Sterilization Center (USC) make up the Mobile Surgical Center. Modern medical devices like phacoemulsifier, electrocauterio, multiparametric vital signs monitors, portable ultrasounds, air conditioners with HEPA filters, autoclaves, water distillers, ultrasonic washers, sealers, and biological testing at the USC are also available at the Surgical Center. The interior of the surgical center is entirely powered by a collection of generators with a combined 160 kVA of backup power.
The major objective of this innovative technology is to logistically access the most remote regions of the Amazon while ensuring patient safety, comfort, and the highest level of services from the EDS team.