Our team for this trip consisted of 23 members. Doctors: Keen, Miller and Lizama, Yvonne Keen (RN), 7 students and our first two volunteer teachers from Houston, TX: Lisa Brent and Gina Hawkins.

 

Even as we arrived on Saturday evening we were already put to work.  The doctors were requested to see a child who was in respiratory distress.  Fortunately we were there and able to aid this child immediately; otherwise, transportation would have been necessary to take this child to the nearest hospital which was 12 miles of our location.

 

Sunday was used to get acquainted with the area and in the evening, we packed and sorted medications and supplies for the various clinics.

 

On Monday, we started our morning with devotion prior to departing to our clinics. The team was divided into 2 groups to see the patients at the Portland Infirmary and the Salvation Army Distribution center. The heat was intense, getting up to 90^o F, but all our patients waited patiently until they are treated. We were without electricity for nearly an hour and were so grateful when it finally came back on so that our 2 little fans could work overtime in circulating the air again.

 

On Tuesday, one team worked at the Buff Bay Hospital while the others went to a clinic in Chepstowe.

 

Wednesday was spent treating patients in Orange Bay and Fruitfulvale. These clinics were routine, doing continuity of care and offering reading glasses to those who could benefit from them.  No sooner than we arrived home, we had a freak thunderstorm that ended up shutting off the electricity. Using candles and lanterns we were able to see where there were leaks in the roof, change wet sheets and then settled down to a lovely dinner and prayed for the rains to stop by tomorrow. Why? Because the roof at the clinic, Golden Agers, leaks and that was where we were scheduled to go!!!

 

Arriving at the Golden Agers building on Thursday, we were surprised to see so many patients in spite of the rains that kept coming down. Fortunately, we were able to use a room that did not leak as badly and was able to complete our clinic.

 

The patients reception to our arrival is always overwhelming in that you can feel the excitement and gratitude as they greet us and our volunteers are also just as excited and eager to work with them. Altogether we saw 400 patients for the week. There were patients with uncontrolled diabetes as usual, some with readings in the 400-500 range. There were 2 new cases that we had to refer to the diabetic clinic.  Instructions on complications of diabetes, diet and disease process were taught individually or in groups. Several pairs of reading glasses were given at each clinic, and the patients were as usual grateful and appreciative for the service.  We look forward to our next visit in October.