In October of 2011 an ISHI team of 9 traveled to a remote village in southeastern Guatemala to care for the Mayan Indians living along the Rio Dulce. ISHI's team of all nurses collaborated with Jungle Medic Missions, and spent 9 days working from Jungle Medic's mobile clinic (a bus converted into a fully functioning medical facility), that had the unique ability to reach areas lacking healthcare facilities. According to Bryan Buchanan, founder of Jungle Medic Missions, "there are 137 villages in the Rio Dulce Izabal area of Guatemala that have no medical or dental care at all, and only subsist on corn tortillas for their three meals a day." Team leader Jhoselyn Thomas found this opportunity for ISHI to volunteer and quickly and efficiently organized a team of 9 for this mission.
Travelling on precarious roads to reach remote villages in the province of Izabal. The bridge was barely wide enough for the bus!
Janet investigating a young girl's medical complaints. Most clinics were set up in cement school houses, as seen in the background.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE MISSION:
Cathy, Michelle and Stephanie setting up the 'derm table' for clinic. One of the most common patient complaints was skin rashes, and team members pooled their money to purchase additional antifungal cream in order to provide for as many patients as possible.
Team ISHI brought medications, vitamins and medical supplies to use during the clinics. These were donated to ISHI as well as purchased by ISHI and transported by the team to Guatemala. All medications unused were donated to Jungle Medic to be distributed to their patients free of cost.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Examined and treated 1074 Mayan Indian patients via the mobile clinic during the week of the mission. With the use of a poster teaching hand care (designed by Debbie Livingston), the team taught simple handwashing methods emphasizing use of soap to promote hand hygiene in the communities visited. Patients with surgical conditions were screened for potential future surgical team.
Volunteers re-organized the pharmacy and stock-room at Jungle Medic, helping to discard expired medications and sort and stock available medications for future easy use. ISHI team treated various conditions such as rashes, abdominal pain, worm infestation, urinary infections, respiratory infections, joint pain, gastritis, anemia, and many more conditions. They also performed various procedures including drainage of abscesses, placement of splints on the extremities and wound care.
Line of people waiting for the team on their first clinic day at one of the local schools.
Emma and Natalia operating the pharmacy during one of the team many clinic days.
MISSION VOLUNTEERS
(l to r) Jhoselyn Thomas-ER Nurse Emma Toussaint-ER Nurse Stephanie Burroughs-ER Nurse Caitlin Blaskewicz- Administrator Cathy Blaskewicz-ER Nurse Practitioner Michele Egarian-ER Nurse Practitioner (front l to r) Nura Qureshi- Photographer Janet Clausen-ER Nurse Nurse Natalia McTighe-ER Nurse
