Having never gone on a trip like this before, I didn’t know what to expect as I participated on a MEDICO mission team. I figured it wouldn’t be very enjoyable with the cold-water showers, lack of electricity and cell service, having to use a latrine, and most likely being served bland meals. However, when we arrived in Auka, it was much more fun than I thought.
After setting up a makeshift clinic at the worksite, the days went by so fast, and you never had time to be bored. At the end of the long days, the shower water wasn’t as cold as I thought and, instead, felt perfect. Being in such a remote area and not having cell phone service gave us a nice break from the outside world. In addition, the meals which were prepared by women from the community were very flavorful and included a variety of local foods.
As a high school student aiming for the medical field, I gained lots of valuable hands-on experience. While I assisted the healthcare professionals as they assessed each of the patients, they were willing to explain so many things and taught me new skills like using a fetal doppler and setting up an IV. I also got to practice some more basic skills I already knew like taking a patient’s blood pressure. I loved having the opportunity to work with and observe multiple doctors and dentists sharing their medical skills and realizing the massive impact we had on the people we were helping.
Despite flight delays at the beginning of the week and having limited time, our clinic in this remote village provided care to 602 medical patients, 186 dental patients, health education to 126 girls, reading glasses to 82 people, and over 100 dental fluoride treatments to the students at the school. From addressing life-threatening emergencies to easing chronic pain, our team worked tirelessly, and well into the night, to meet Auka’s needs.
Narrative shared by Anna from Virginia
One of our local volunteer doctors summed up our mission perfectly: “What an opportunity we have today. To bypass the bureaucracy. To bypass the corruption. To go straight to the need. To the people.”
MEDICO continues to bring healthcare where it’s most desperately needed — remote villages where a doctor is a rarity and medicine can mean the difference between life and death.
