First clinic

Where to even begin? This group is amazing, hats off all the way around. They rallied and recuperated at lightening speed for our first day's clinic. We arrived to Calan in the morning and began to unload all the bins, set up pharmacy, kids area and clinic. The community had already organized a lot ahead of time for us, including assigning numbers to the patients to be seen in an attempt to help create some order for the process (and after having experienced clinics without this in the past I can't stress enough how much this helps). As soon as enough bins were opened and things were being pulled out for pharmacy, we were already moving the first patient through. And from there it didn't stop. There were two hundred and fifty numbers assigned, and outstanding number in and of itself, but most brought family with them, more than doubling our number of patients actually seen. There were some tough cases, and those just further strengthened the people caring for them to keep going, but it also was not too overwhelming of a start. For the providers who are experiencing their first medical mission, it is the perfect transition from the American system to what is done on this trip. And by the end of it there was no doubt that, as if there ever was, that we'd be just fine. The pharmacy did run out of medications, which is always hard to have to turn people away without things like medication for diabetes, but not a single patient left ungrateful or disgruntled. The non medical team had the kids outside running mini track meets, playing games, distributing new toys and playing music with them. (Keep in mind my blog is limited as I myself do not have the pleasure of seeing how great of job everyone else is doing, no one has that pleasure). After lunch and then a quick reopening of clinic, we were packed and on the bus and off to an "orphanage". This is a center for people of a wide range of ages with pretty severe disabilities who are cared for by nuns. Many of the people were left by family members who will never return for them, not even for a visit. This was an INCREDIBLE opportunity, no group has ever been given the chance to go in and serve this group. We arrived and were given an hour time limit, so we quickly dispersed the group, male providers with male interpreters to the male side, and females on the other. The center houses around sixty people, but the nuns did separate out the ones that needed the most care to help. While these people were by no means in perfect health, they were also very far from being in poor health. This group of women really has been working tirelessly to care for each individual, and considering the small size of the staff, we were beyond impressed. We left the center with a few bins of supplies such as vitamins, hydrogen peroxide, pads for beds, wound dressings, etc. The providers charted for each of the more severe patients (each person actually had a medical file, which was beyond impressive, including lab work), and prescribed a few extra meds, and then it was back to the buses with all the tubs. At the house we stil had to finish packing more bins to finish prepping for all the clinics, pack because tomorrow it's off to Ceiba, where we wil stay for the duration of clinics, and enjoy a fabulous home made meal of baleadas, Honduras's national snack. Despite how draining it is to merely exist in this heat, let alone set up, take down and do a clinic, and furthermore two, in one day, this group hasn't failed to make the most of every moment.