Our September team was a group of veteran providers. From Denver, CO, Jennifer Parsons, PA and Jessica Meyers, NP flew to Guatemala City with Jennifer’s daughter Izzy (who is in undergraduate as a pre-medical student). At the airport, they met another veteran to the Camotan Clinic team: David Nitsch MPH, PhD. All 3 providers have been a big part of the ongoing care, vision and growth of Camotan Clinic. It was a happy reunion as they drove the 4+ hrs from Guatemala City to Camotan. Our team made it just in time to meet up with the clinic staff on a Sunday night for a group dinner in Camotan.
Jessica Meyers (back, L), NP and David Nitsch (back, R), PhD looking for a medication for a patient in our mobile mountain pharmacy
Their first day was a long travel on 1.5hrs of rugged, dirt roads from Camotan to the remote mountain village of Morola (see above). This was the first trip our team had made to this far away location. 74 patients were seen by our team (which included our Guatemalan resident physician and resident dentist). As is typical, dental care is especially lacking in these villages. Our dentists work very hard each day to keep up with the need at each location we go to. Although Morola was far away, we will go back there in the future. Our goal is always to have continuity and to have follow up for medical and dental patients.
Dr. Jeffrey Meija, one of our medical residents examines a patient in a remote mountain village
For the next few days of the week, the team went to villages we had been to before. We keep records of the villages we go to and try to go twice a year to ensure follow up. In El Tular, our Wednesday village, over 100 patients were seen. The patients were sicker and poorer than the prior two villages’ patients. Here, the team diagnosed asthmatics, drained abscesses, treated lice and worms and diagnosed cases of pneumonia. One child was so sick with pneumonia that the team transported him in a truck to the Chiquimula hospital 1.5hrs away (the closest hospital). As of this blog, the child has returned home and is well.
A crowd gathers at one of our mountain clinics
A week of work in Camotan is an excellent trip for families. It is safe and the hard work of helping others is tremendously fulfilling. Izzy Parsons (L) and her mother Jennifer Parsons, PA (R) have been on many trips before. They come back to contribute each year to the clinic and to the communities around Camotan.
We continue to work with the public hospital in Chiquimula. Although the team did not work in the hospital on this trip, they stopped to drop off lunch and said hello. Here Salome Betancourt (L) and Jessica Meyers, NP (R) meet with an administrator of the hospital.
Thanks so much for reading! As always, thanks to those who continue to support us and the work we do. We could not do this without you.