Help for the Andes Foundation
Successful visit of Dr. Patch Adams to Valparaíso
25 Nov 2011 - Dr. Patch Adams' message of love and compassion during his "Alegría de Cuidar" (Joy of Caring) conferences had a big effect on students, professionals, authorities and the general public.
His opening sentences were:
"No school teaches us that love is the most important aspect of life."
"No medical school in the world, to my knowledge, teaches compassion as a course thread running through all medical education." "I've spoken at 90 of our medical schools and medical schools in 68 countries, and none have a compassion curriculum. Students everywhere feel this is a big, horrible problem in medical education. I would like to suggest that a lot of burnout in health care delivery is connected to the absence of a compassionate, fun, practice of medicine."
The Help for the Andes Foundation President, Rosita Raffo, expressed her desire that the arrival of Patch Adams to Valparaiso would make the city a happier place, and she hopes that we fulfill these aspirations to have a more just and creative society, a society that gives love and care towards vulnerable people.