El Consultorio

Creation of the “Consultorio de Niños de Pecho y Gota de Leche” in Seville

At the beginning of the 20^th century a group of persons, ruled by the doctors Ciriaco Esteban, D. José Román Chico and D. Jerónimo Oliveras Piscol, initiated a series of meetings to create an institution which should contribute to decrease the high infant mortality and help those infants of Seville who were disadvantaged the most.

Soon they started to contact both people of their private environment (people who had social and political influence) and public authorities. They realized petitions, organized charity acts and supported campaigns in the local press.

As a result of their effort, they achieved it to rent a moderate accommodation in the street “Amor de Dios” (number 28) in Seville with the aim to transform it into a medical praxis which was inaugurated the 8^th of January 1906 as “Consultorio de Niños de Pecho”. In this centre they tried to encourage breastfeeding by the mothers and to inform about how to take care of a child.

A few months later, the first assembly of members was established to achieve legality of the institution and to amplify the services offered.

So for example the nutritional status of infants was examined and checked weekly and suggestions concerning the nutrition and hygiene of their infants were given to mothers. Furthermore, in the centre they provided the adequate medication and dispensed baby bottles with milk.

Years later, the medical service was extended to pregnant women including the “Mutualidad Maternal de San Román” in which pregnancy was controlled.

In den 30er Jahren und in jenem Haus in der Straße Amor de Dios in Sevilla bietet die Praxis diverse Dienste an, wie zum Beispiel: Zahnmedizin, Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Radiologie und Strahlentherapie, Behandlung von Augen-, Herz- und Nervenkrankheiten. Außerdem verfügt sie über ein Labor für klinische Analysen, einen Raum fürs Röntgen und Beratungen für Schwangere und intrauterine Kinderpflege (Pflege des ungeborenen Kindes).

Yet in the 30s and in that house in Seville the medical praxis offers various services, like for example: dentistry, ear, nose and-throat medicine, radiology and radiotherapy, medical treatment of diseases of the heart, eye and neuropathies. Moreover, it possesses a laboratory for clinical analysis, a room for X-raying and consultations for pregnant women and intrauterine child care.

During the 60s, favoured by changes in society and new needs, a series of transformations takes place in the internal part of the institution, both concerning the activities and the organization. The administrative assembly turns into a patronage and the mission of the institution is redefined.

The necessity to return to the activities from the beginning and to meet the real needs of the epoch was recognized again in the 80s. For that reason, an agreement with the county council of Seville is made to create an acommodation (“Unidad de Acogida”) for children with social problems.

The customization of the institution to the new realities at the end of the 20^th century/ beginning of the 21^st century does not only refer to the needs of children, but also to the legal customization of the institution to the current conditions and so the foundation “Gota de Leche” is created which can now continue its work to protect and to help children according to the law (Ley 30/1994).

The last direction of the institution „Gota de Leche“, run by Dr. Manuel Sobrino Toro, promotes the establishment of the foundation “Gota de Leche” which was formed in 1998 through public document.

That is how the foundation originates as the legal successor of the „Consultorios de Niños de Pecho y Gota de Leche“ with new forms of action:

-       Projects of intervention with children living in paediatric – social risk

-       Awareness raising and defence of children’s rights

-       Formation and investigation

-       Counselling centre for children

-       Projects of development cooperation in developing countries