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COVID In Colorado: Health Care Volunteers Used To Traveling The Globe Must Work Remotely

DENVER (CBS4)- Half a world away in Africa, COVID-19 has hindered help from Colorado. Health care volunteers are unable to travel to conduct potentially life-saving services.

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(credit: Bridge of Life)

Katie Chandler, program director for Bridge of Life is trying to handle assistance from afar.

"COVID has restricted all international travel. It's not safe for our team, it's not safe for our medical volunteers and it's not safe for the people that we serve," said Chandler.

Founded by DaVita, Bridge of Life provides AIDS screening and other health care services in nearly three dozen countries. One of them is Uganda.

CBS4's Rick Sallinger asked Sheila Gabeya via Zoom, "Do you miss the people from Colorado who go over there?"

"Oh my God, so much," Gabeya replied.

She works for the Global Livingston Institute, also based in Colorado. Gabeya said the pandemic has made her job very different.

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(credit: Bridge of Life)

"It's been a strange year, so we try to adapt and tailor our work, but it hasn't been as much fun," said Gabeya.

She said they don't get to meet new people now. They are relying on local health care workers to do what those from Colorado can only do by long distance this year. A partnership between Bridge of Life and Global Livingston makes it happen.

"You have two locally based organizations connecting with locally based organizations in Uganda to provide basic public health services during a time when communities really need that help," said Global Livingston Institute Founder Jamie Van Leeuwen.

Normally they sponsor massive concerts to bring people to get health information and screening.

Chandler said they've worked around that, "Instead of having a giant concert that delivers them to thousands of people in a single day, we offer small health screenings in one location over a longer period of time."

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(credit: Bridge of Life)

Even this year, the music and the health message went on, but safely, online.

LINKS: Bridge Of Life International | Global Livingston

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