Medical mission to Honduras. December 20, 1998-January 2, 1999

This is the story of a team of medical professionals who responded to an appeal from Church World Services in New York to provide two weeks of primary care for Honduran people in areas devastated by Hurricane Mitch. It was a remarkable experience to see how a small team of changing physicians, nurses, and support personnel could function effectively although they had not known each other, or ever worked together before. Over a period of two weeks with two major holiday weekends and an unusual amount of time spent in travel, the team in seven working days provided primary care to about 500 patients ages 1 day to 82 years with limited medical supplies and no laboratory resources. The patients resided in rural villages, without electricity or running water, which could only be reached over poor rural roads. Full credit should be given to the Honduran CCD which provided support services for the dedicated, compassionate American volunteers, and to the Honduran villagers who patiently waited, often in the rain, to be seen. It is hoped that the medical services were as helpful to the recipients as the experience was to the team participants. There is little doubt that long run efforts of CCD and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are needed to stimulate overall improvement in the standard of living in rural villages. Future sustained development will take local leadership to stimulate interest in a better future by spacing children so they can have improved education and healthier living conditions.