Suyana Foundation and the Cusco Sur Health Network implement a dental clinic in the community of Patria

The donation, made with the support of the Straumann Group Foundation, will benefit nearly 8,000 residents of the district of Kosñipata who until now had their dental problems treated in a portable field chair.

Cusco, June 12, 2026.- Until recently, treating a cavity in the community of Patria meant sitting in a portable dental chair, the kind used in field campaigns, without proper posture for either the patient or the professional. The other option was to travel to the district capital, a journey that proved costly for many families. That reality has changed with the implementation of a new dental clinic at the Patria Health Post, in the district of Kosñipata, province of Paucartambo.

The initiative came to fruition thanks to the agreement signed between the Cusco Sur Health Services Network and the Suyana Foundation, carried out in coordination with the District Municipality of Kosñipata and with the support of the Straumann Group Foundation, within the framework of the Healthy Municipality Program. The donation includes an electric dental unit, an air compressor, an ultrasound device, a curing light, and a complete set of dental instruments.

“This equipment will be a great support for the dental health of the people of Patria, because as you can see, Patria has grown a great deal in recent years,” said Felicitas Franco Quispe, mayor of the community of Patria. “It was already necessary for my town, which truly needs it, especially the children, the elderly, and expectant mothers.”

An area of high demand

The district of Kosñipata, like much of the country’s rural areas, faces a high demand for dental care and a limited availability of professionals. The incidence of cavities nationwide is close to 95%, a figure strongly felt in these communities.

The Patria Health Post currently treats between 7 and 9 patients a day, around 170 a month, including children, the elderly, expectant mothers, and the general population. With the new equipment, this coverage is expected to expand to nearly 200 patients per month.

“With the portable chair, proper ergonomics were not guaranteed; there were uncomfortable moments for the patient and for the operator,” explained dental surgeon Jimmy Jhon Gutiérrez Aroste, head of the dental service at the facility. “Now, with this new unit, we will provide better quality care for the benefit of the population.”

Patria is also an area with a largely transient population. According to the local government’s records, nearly 8,000 people inhabit the community, a figure that grows with migration and makes strengthening the area’s health services all the more urgent.

Commitments for sustainability

The continuity of the service rests on the commitment of each stakeholder. The Cusco Sur Health Services Network assigned the dental surgeon and will be responsible for supplies and the maintenance of the equipment; the District Municipality of Kosñipata refurbished the space and took on the maintenance of the infrastructure.

“We will always be coming to oversee the care provided to the population, because we need to deliver a good service,” said Sergio Ayerbe Noa, district mayor of Kosñipata, who highlighted the work of the past three years. “The great change Suyana has brought about is evident, both in dentistry and in economic development, especially in the most remote communities.”

For the Cusco Sur Health Services Network, the impact is direct. “This agreement impacts the population of Patria, which will receive oral health services with new equipment,” said Milagros Pinelo Apaza, executive director of the entity. “Our users, across the different age groups, will benefit from care in both the restorative phase and in the prevention and promotion of health.”

The implementation of the Patria dental clinic is part of the Healthy Municipality Program that the Suyana Foundation carries out in partnership with local governments in Cusco, Apurímac, and Puno, under a model that integrates health, education, and livelihoods to bring about sustainable change in rural communities.

This donation was made possible thanks to the support of the Straumann Group Foundation, whose contribution made it possible to equip the service with quality dental technology. With this implementation, thousands of families in Patria will be able to access safer, more comfortable, and higher-quality dental care, without the need to travel long distances or bear the costs involved.