Our US team arrived in early February from Colorado to spend a week working in Camotan. As many of you know, Camotan Clinic has been developing ties with the local public hospital (where over 90% of people get their care) and with with local medical and dental schools. We have identified these organizations as crucial to the health of the region. For this reason we have Guatemalan medical and dental residents that work in our clinic full time. Our US teams arrive and work intimately with our Guatemalan residents and staff. It is a wonderful collaboration. Much of our staff eagerly awaits the arrival of the US teams. Deep friendships have been developed and there are hugs, laughs and much conversation when we all get to see each other again.
In February it was Camotan Clinic regulars Dr. Steve Stahl and Jessica Meyers, NP who went to Camotan. Steve and Jessica immediately started working with our new medical resident (we have each resident for 6 month stints) Dr. Jennifer Solis. Dr. Crisitan Vasquez our resident dentist was also present. The residents work in Camotan Clinic Monday through Friday in the clinic where medicine, medical equipment and staff can work efficiently (it helps the clinic is also air conditioned!). Often however when teams from the US arrive, we spend the week doing large mobile clinics in the remote mountain villages high above Camotan. Such was the focus on this trip. The teams went on the first day to the aldea (mountain village) Guiro Centro; about 20 miles (and 45 minutes of slow driving!) from Camotan deep in the mountains. We use government school houses for our clinic for the day (see below).
Dr. Steve Stahl examining a patient in Guiro Centro
We were also accompanied on this trip by a physical therapist Naely Fernandez. This was a first and a new partnership for Camotan Clinic. We are excited to start having Guatemalan physical therapy professionals come and work with us. Physical Therapy is something that rarely is employed in the rural areas of Guatemala. Resources are so scarce and there are few programs for therapists. But we were delighted to have Naely with us on this trip. She even brought a mobile TENS machine (see below) to help villagers with their muscle pains. Everyone does physical labor in rural Guatemala. The men work in the fields all day. The women carry water, cook, walk steep hills holding children. There thus is plenty of physical ailments that physical therapy can help with.
Naely Fernandez, PT places a TENS machine on patient in the mountains. Physical Therapy is greatly useful in the mountain villages where all residents perform manual labor.
The next few days saw other villages and more patients. As is often the case, dental needs are severe. Residents of the far flung mountain aldeas never see a dentist. And virtually none have the resources to pay for toothpaste or a toothbrush. Thus infected teeth are a painful and a potentially lethal malady. Our dentists are always busy in the mountain villages. They perform extractions and teach basic dental care. We do give out toothpaste and toothbrushes, few mountain villagers can afford to buy these things. Extractions can immediately relieve pain and eliminate an infection source (see below).
Dr. Cristian Vasquez treats a patient in a mountain village
When we go to villages, we take what technology we can. It amazes villagers when we have machines like a TENS machine above or an ultrasound (see below). In the clinic we have a full dental room with xray, an EKG machine (donated by a US hospital), an ultrasound machine and a full pharmacy. Taking this technology to the mountains is increasing feasible and helps bring high quality healthcare to people who have nothing.
Dr. Jennifer Solis, Camotan Clinic medical resident, performs ultrasound on a pregnant patient in a mountain village
Much of our remote mountain village work involves concerned mothers bringing their (often many–6,8,10 (!)) children to be examined by our visiting medical team. Many of these children have no acute issue that day. The mothers are simply concerned and want to be reassured. In these situations we often give the mother tylenol for the future (fevers, pain) and give each child a medicine to rid them of parasites (ubiquitous in the villages, acquired in contaminated drinking water). Yet almost every trip we have one true emergency (see prior blogs for some of these stories). Thus was the case again in February. On the last day of work a 5yr old girl was brought to the team seizing. This 5yr old girl had seizures since she was young but her mother had no money to take her to the local hospital in Chiquimula so she lived with daily seizures. Our team made the decision to transport this little girl, Delmy, to the Chiquimula hospital and pay for whatever was needed to get her stabilized. The 1+ hr drive off the mountain was undertaken and she was admitted to the hospital, started on seizure medications and was able to go home in 3 days.
Delmy is cared for in the Chiquimula public hospital with her mother at her side
Camotan Clinic will take care of Delmy from here. We will make sure her mother receives anti-seizure medicines and we will follow up with her. Although her mountain village is far away, we ensure that we visit each village twice a year. And the mother can always come to Camotan Clinic in Camotan for free care and free medicine in between.
The hospital in Chiquimula continues to work with Camotan Clinic and our partnership with them continues to grow. There will be much more on this in 2026. As stated above, this public hospital is crucial to the care of the vast majority of residents in this part of rural Guatemala. The hospital needs supplies, medicines and support. We intend to support them and continue to collaborate with them. None of this care is possible without the support of many of you who give your time, energy, prayers, supplies and finances to Camotan Clinic. Thank you so much to all of you who stand behind us as we do this work. We could not do this without you.
Thanks for reading!