Puerto Rico RIL during COVID-19
IDENTIFIED CHALLENGES
Rural areas lack access to health care and risk exposure when traveling to facilities and doctors.
Elderly populations cannot access medical care or basic needs, such as groceries, without the risk of exposure.
Lack of Personal Protective Equipment plagues Health Care workers.
Low-income jobs in service industries, such as retail, hospitality, childcare, and the informal economy, cannot be performed remotely.
Low income is associated with higher rates of chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which increase vulnerability to COVID-19.
Most people living in poverty have no savings to weather a lack of food, representing an impossible financial hurdle.
NGOs and service organizations cannot track funding opportunities available for COVID-19 response, including federal reimbursements for the emergency.
Lack of internet access for children engaged in learning from home.
Inadequate contact tracing systems and a defaulting
ACTIVITIES
A comprehensive online education and entertainment (EDUTAINMENT) resource has been compiled with many INGOs contributions and available to the population at large. Emphasis is given to STEM education resources.
Working with the Puerto Rico Science Technology and Research Trust (PRST) on the development of distance telemedicine learning, supplementing on-going investments from the Trust. The idea is to build health connection centers in rural areas where people can access communications with their doctor or health care provider as opposed to traveling long distances.
Hosting Convening Webinar events:
Understanding challenges and gaps from stakeholders, such as the federal agencies, health providers, and institutions.
Initiating Podcasts with related content for resiliency and continuity of operations
Sharing designs from MIT on respirators in response to the Manufacturers Association request to PRST for local manufacture locally in medical devices facility.
Facilitated the matchmaking of The Sewing Cooperative with financing from other cooperatives to buy material for the production of face masks and gowns.
Working on the 3-D local manufacturing production of hand-washing stations, designed by Oxfam and developed in Tanzania and Uganda. These stations will be delivered to the League of Cities to place in their tent medical facilities erected outside large hospitals where COVID-19 screening is being conducted.
Coordinating with AARP to track and document elderly populations in need on the Island. The outcome will be a published resource listing for available assistance to the elderly.
Assisting in the geo-location of Puerto Rico communities with current prevalent conditions.
Coordinating innovations and innovators with the needs of at-risk populations. The lab is looking to produce a catalog of local and non-local innovations to solve COVID-19 related challenges.
Matchmaking private sector resources, such as agents of change, advocacy, or direct services, with stated needs of the at-risk population. This is done predominantly for businesses and to promote restarting the economy. Included in this effort is the production of the Resilient Business curricula shared with the university faculty and business promoters.
Referrals of innovations and existing resources from subject matter experts to agencies seeking solutions to populations' problems at risk.
Coordinating a list of funding sources and reimbursement procedures available from foundations and federal agencies.
A Convene event with major transport carriers, such as ISPs, submarine cable companies, and local philanthropic groups (led by The Hispanic Federation) to identify solutions to school children's internet connectivity.
Supported AARP, Hispanic Federation, Oxfam, League of Cities, and World Central Kitchen with technical solutions to identify locations and inventories of elderly not on social service networks, thus unable to be easily located.