First Day of Clinic
Welcome home, Welcome back!
Twenty seven volunteers returned to Guanaja, Honduras to provide medical assistance to people of all ages. With 11 medical providers on the team, the hope of meaningful insights and treatment in this remote community was on the minds of all.
Our first day, we arrive by boat to St. Camille’s Clinic in Mitch, an area within Mangrove Bight. Parters for Global Health (P4GH) was welcomed with open arms, warm smiles and a number of familiar faces. For many returning volunteers, it felt much like a homecoming.
Providers were hugging and shaking hands with one another and patients seen last year were returning for follow up. We wasted no time and went straight to work, serving nearly 200 patients.
Our resident pediatrician/neonatologist, encountered a 3 year old child with a never heard before heart murmur. Seeing the worry in his mother’s eyes, he wasted no time asking our ultrasound tech to assist. Admittedly, she had limited experience doing echocardiograms (ultrasounds of the heart), but did not hesitate to step up. In doing so, she was able to rule out any congenital heart abnormalities and confirm that the child had an innocent and benign murmur. Both clinicians were a beacon of light to this family - providing much needed reassurance, love and compassionate care.
Another example of the team’s compassion was led by a volunteer who was not a medical provider. This team member noticed a woman in distress while working outside installing a zip line for children. He dropped what he was doing to sheppard the woman to the front of the line. It was then when our medical providers joined forces to treat the woman that required stitches.
While many stories were written on our first day of clinic, the big story is the collaboration and support the community provides to ensure everyone in need is touched by this small yet mighty team. Teamwork really does make the dreams work!
Much love,
P4GH