We were so excited to start our day and when we made our first turn, we were surprised to find that the road we must travel was decreased to one lane of traffic due to resurfacing. Unlike the road surfacing in the United States, in Nicaragua large stones that are then pressed and packed into the soil are used. As if the obstacle of single-lane traffic was not enough, we had only traveled approximately 1 mile when we discovered that there were 2 cars and a bulldozer blocking our path to the clinic which was at least 25 minutes from our location. The 2 cars were literally stuck and had to be removed from the road before we could pass. After approximately 30 minutes, the cars were removed only for us to realize that one of our vans was also unable to move forward or backward. Our medical team then pulled together to physically push the van out of its position to allow it to move.
We traveled approximately 1 mile before we realized that another of our vans was making a horrible noise. Much to our dismay, we had to stop again, remove a tire and investigate. Because we are comprised of a medical team without an actual mechanic, we made the collaborative decision to replace the wheel and take the vehicle to a professional. After being delayed for almost 2 hours, the team that required 3 vans squeezed into 2 and our day was able to start.
One of our medical teams was dropped at San Ignaciao Clinic where they were greeted by several patients waiting anxiously for their arrival. They saw many patients needing gynecology exams, those suffering from acute illnesses and also spent time teaching patients about their chronic illnesses. Corina Sturgeon was thrilled to have the opportunity to treat a patient who had suffered for years from asthma. She was able to provide a nebulizer treatment to him and also teach him about his disease process and send him home with inhalers and needed medications for him to manage his asthma on his own. The patient was so grateful that he returned to the clinic after 2 hours to reiterate to her how much he appreciated her and that he felt better than he had felt in years. Shahriela Ganjoor provided education regarding oral care to the teachers of the school. She placed an emphasis on cavity prevention.
The other medical team traveled far into the mountains to a remote area. They set up their clinic at El Lajal school. Upon arrival the team was surprised to find that they had no patients lined up for care. Concerned, they approached the local staff who explained that the patients would come and the reason for them not waiting was that the patients were walking several miles from their homes to receive care. Sure enough, within 30 minutes patients started arriving and much needed care was being provided. One patient that stands out is a febrile pediatric patient that had suspected pneumonia. The team was able to provide fever care and antibiotic injections to hopefully put the 11 month old on the road to recovery.
Alberto Hazan and Adrian Martinez spent the day in Rivas, speaking to the director of the Rivas Medical Center Emergency Department about patient care in her community. They were concerned to hear about the lack of supplies in the ER and about how difficult working life is for an emergency physician, working thirty-six hour shifts every fourth day. The waiting room is always full, but the physicians who work in the ER manage to see everyone within two to three hours. There are consulting physicians available from the major specialties (pediatrics, internal medicine, orthopedics, and OB/gyn).
Overall, the team saw 210 patients. It was another amazing day. There is really no other word to describe the work that we are doing. It is truly suspected that although we are making an impact on the people of the area, it does not compare to the impact that our patients and the people are making on our team. This is humanity at its finest.
One of our medical teams was dropped at San Ignaciao Clinic where they were greeted by several patients waiting anxiously for their arrival. They saw many patients needing gynecology exams, those suffering from acute illnesses and also spent time teaching patients about their chronic illnesses. Corina Sturgeon was thrilled to have the opportunity to treat a patient who had suffered for years from asthma. She was able to provide a nebulizer treatment to him and also teach him about his disease process and send him home with inhalers and needed medications for him to manage his asthma on his own. The patient was so grateful that he returned to the clinic after 2 hours to reiterate to her how much he appreciated her and that he felt better than he had felt in years. Shahriela Ganjoor provided education regarding oral care to the teachers of the school. She placed an emphasis on cavity prevention.
The other medical team traveled far into the mountains to a remote area. They set up their clinic at El Lajal school. Upon arrival the team was surprised to find that they had no patients lined up for care. Concerned, they approached the local staff who explained that the patients would come and the reason for them not waiting was that the patients were walking several miles from their homes to receive care. Sure enough, within 30 minutes patients started arriving and much needed care was being provided. One patient that stands out is a febrile pediatric patient that had suspected pneumonia. The team was able to provide fever care and antibiotic injections to hopefully put the 11 month old on the road to recovery.
Alberto Hazan and Adrian Martinez spent the day in Rivas, speaking to the director of the Rivas Medical Center Emergency Department about patient care in her community. They were concerned to hear about the lack of supplies in the ER and about how difficult working life is for an emergency physician, working thirty-six hour shifts every fourth day. The waiting room is always full, but the physicians who work in the ER manage to see everyone within two to three hours. There are consulting physicians available from the major specialties (pediatrics, internal medicine, orthopedics, and OB/gyn).
Overall, the team saw 210 patients. It was another amazing day. There is really no other word to describe the work that we are doing. It is truly suspected that although we are making an impact on the people of the area, it does not compare to the impact that our patients and the people are making on our team. This is humanity at its finest.
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