Update from Outside of Tola, Nicaragua
Thursday, August 3, 2017: Our rural clinic exceeds my expectations. We have the OneWorldHealth large mobile clinic and have just driven it off the highway about 3 or 4 miles down a dirt path. Low hanging power lines are a real risk. It turns out we could not use the clinic anyway because the church where we are having the clinic is about 50 yards up a hill with no road to it.
Today is a regular clinic day, caring for both both adults and children. Everyone was waiting for us to arrive again. We have the pediatricians with us as well as a general practitioner.
We have set up the portable ultrasound machine in a room in the back of the church. Having such a great machine in an area like this is nothing that any mother ever expected. It's exciting for the moms who need it.
This community has power and gets its water from a community well and everyone utilized outhouses. It's rustic, but not that different from how many folks lived in the U.S. not too long ago.
Melanie (my wife) has really been enjoying using her nursing skills on the trip. She has been taking vitals and doing initial patient interviews. Peter is her interpreter and has been a great help to her.
The mission today is to service 80 patients. We gave out armbands with numbers early on, as 80 is the limit. I'm not sure why 80, but we seem to have been able to see everyone who needs to be seen.
The rural clinic experience is really different than the pediatric health fair. We have had two patients over 90 years old! Plantains must add years to your life! We've all eaten lots of plantains.
I can't express how appreciative the folks here have been for the team at OneWorldmHealth. It's really nice to be able to go into a community and provide such a great service that can help people be healthy and productive for their families.
The entire team at OneWorldHealth is great. I've been so impressed by the local staff. They are mission driven and focused. They clearly love their jobs and serving their neighbors.
Learn more about Equiscript and OneWorld Health.
Clients: How to apply for the Equiscript and OneWorld Health Trip in December.
