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January 2, 2026

We share the experience of Corporación Mater with pediatricians in Ecuador

Recently, Dr. José Manuel Escala participated as an international speaker at the20th Ecuadorian Congress of Pediatric Surgery, held in the city of Cuenca, where he shared the experience and care model of the MATER Corporation.
 
During the meeting, which brought together pediatricians and specialists from different countries, Dr. Escala highlighted the impact achieved by Corporación MATER over almost 30 years of work, based on a purposeful care model, public-private collaboration, and medical volunteering, focused on prevention and reducing waiting lists for children.
 
When medical excellence is combined with commitment and collaboration, the impact is sustainable and transformative.

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Dr. Renato Gana has been associated with Corporación Mater since its inception. As a pediatric urologist, he participated in the first surgical campaigns and has been part of an initiative that aims to provide specialized surgery to children living in regions where treating certain conditions can be much more difficult.
More than 50 children were able to undergo surgery thanks to new medical campaigns organized by Corporación MATER in collaboration with local health services and various partner institutions.
The MATER Children's Kidney Foundation brought together those who helped it take its first steps to thank them for three decades of support, solidarity, and work on behalf of children throughout Chile.
Dr. José Manuel Escala is the founder and president of Corporación Mater. As the organization marks its 30th anniversary, we sat down with him to discuss its origins, its major achievements, and the need to carry this work forward—a conversation in which he also acknowledges and thanks those who have played a vital role along the way.
For the past four years, Constanza Olivares has been the coordinator of highly complex surgical operations carried out by the MATER Corporation throughout Chile. A nurse and midwife by profession, she speaks of her work with conviction and gratitude: "The Corporation has allowed me to develop not only professionally, but also to provide more care to patients. And that, for me, is tremendously satisfying."
Anesthesiologist Virginia Montecinos has just completed ten operations as a volunteer at Corporación Mater. This number speaks to her perseverance, but above all, her conviction. We spoke with her to find out what motivated her to join, what she has learned along the way, and why, in her opinion, volunteering not only transforms the lives of children and their families, but also those who participate in it.