While thinking about how best to convey the experiences of this trip, it strikes me that MEDICO has been serving the community of Uhi and its surrounding villages since 2018. It is remarkable to me the dedication and support MEDICO volunteers have provided not only through the numerous construction projects to improve the local schools, medical clinic, and roads/bridges, but also through the medical brigade, providing much needed medical, dental and eye care. This year’s Uhi medical brigade consisted of volunteers from all over the US to include 4 doctors, 1 dentist, 1 optometrist, 5 nurses, and 1 paramedic, not to mention the vital help of the local Honduran translators, nurses, teacher, and support staff. It was a big team that provided care to 519 medical patients, 67 dental patients, and 202 optometry patients! Without MEDICOs support, the villagers of Uhi would not have had access to much needed dental extractions, new eyeglasses, or the variety of medications dispensed through our pharmacy.
This year we saw a larger than normal number of pediatric respiratory infections thought to be caused by a chicken pox outbreak. Many of our patients who received nebulized albuterol treatments were less than a year old and would most likely have become gravely ill without the treatments we provided. The team also had requests for 5 house calls for patients who were too ill or disabled to leave their homes and had no other means of receiving treatment. The furthest of the house calls was in the village of Ratlaya (approximately 1.5-2 hour walk from Uhi). Fortunately, Honduran military personnel (who were on premises for the entirety of the week) were kind enough to provide transport for our doctor, nurse and translator on the back of 3 motorcycles driven by soldiers. Even though a tropical storm pelted them with rain as they traversed the dirt paths, our team (Dr. Jeff, nurse Ali and translator Berian) made it to the patient’s home to treat an elderly woman in severe pain who lived alone and was too weak and unable to walk or care for herself. She received IV fluids and antibiotics, pain medication and wound care. Although our time with her was short, she had a visible change in her demeanor from one of intractable pain to relief once the pain medication
was administered. The other 4 patients who received visits from our team (Dr. Nick, Dr. Oleg, nurse Erika and translator Ursula) were treated for necrotic wounds, weakness, diarrhea, and dehydration. MEDICO made a positive difference in the lives of all of these people.
In addition to the medical brigade, MEDICO teamed up with the local community nurse and held three Days for Girls (DFG) sessions over two days and donated 145 Days for Girls kits. The smiles on the faces of the girls who received the DFG kits demonstrates how important women’s health and education is in the community.
Submitted by MEDICO volunteer paramedic Serena Gennuso
