2010 Colombia Medical Mission

 

Welcome!
I hope you can join us on this exciting

mission.

 

 

The Mission dates are as follows:

February 25-March 5, 2010

February 25 - Travel Day
February 26-March 3 - Mission Working Days
March 4 - Rest Day
March 5 - Travel Day

Hotel Accommodations:  Club Compestre  www.campestrecali.com

 

Cost of Mission:  The cost for food, airfare and hotel is around $1200.  Breakfast and lunch is provided. 

 

Hour of Operations:  7:30-5:30pm

 

Physicians/Nurses Needed:  Pediatricians, General Surgeons, OBGYN, Internal Medicine, Infectious Disease, Family Medicine, Gastroenterologist, Podiatrists, Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists,Orthopedics and Nurses. 

 

Daily Activities:  Consults with patients or surgery days depending on specialty.  We are working out of more than one hospital so it depends on your specialty.  Please contact Armando Sardi (asardi@mdmercy.com) for more details based on your specialty. 

 

Requirements: Medical License faxed to Lisa Garrett at 410-771-0183 by December 15, 2009.  Please send if you even just considering to attend the mission.  We have to process the licenses in Bogota by December 2009.  Even if you do not attend for some reason, it is better to have your name processed in the system.  It is easier to take your name out of the system than to process it at the last minute. Thank you for your understanding.

 

Questions regarding the Medical Mission:  Please send an email to Lisa Garrett at lgarrett1@verizon.net or

call 410-302-0000.

 

 Current Medical Help Needed

• Pediatrics

 

 

 

ISAIAS DUARTE CANCINO HOSPITAL

The hospital, Isaias Duarte Cancino Hospital, is in a town called Aguablanca.  The hospital was selected due to the medical needs in the community. Everyone that works at the hospital is also dedicated to helping the poor.  The hospital is clean and the staff offers a lot of assistance to the patients in getting quality care.  This hospital also provides continued care to these patients after the mission is complete which is why we selected this hospital.  We want to help build a hospital and see a community grow and develop even when we are not on the mission.

 

Patients are also pre-selected prior to the mission by a group of volunteers at the hospital that visit the community.  The volunteers provide them with a schedule of the days they are to arrive at the hospital for their visit with the physicians.

 

  

Aguablanca Demographics:

 

Isaias Duarte Cancino Hospital is located in one of the poorest areas in Cali, Colombia, South America.  The town, Aguablanca, supports a population of almost a million people.  The house size is about 12x12 where 6-12 people live, eat, and sleep.  Roofs are made of corrugated steel with any heavy objects they can find to keep the roof from blowing off.  Road are mainly dirt roads.   The children mostly suffer from malnutrition and intestinal parasites. 

 

 

Colombia Demographics:

Geography
Area: 1.14 million sq. km. (440,000 sq. mi.); about three times the size of Montana; fourth-largest country in South America.
Cities: Capital--Bogota (pop. 2005 projected: 7.1 million). Other major cities include Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla and Cartagena.
Terrain: Flat coastal areas, with extensive coastlines on the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, three rugged parallel mountain chains, central highlands and flat eastern grasslands.
Climate: Tropical on coast and eastern plains, cooler in highlands.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Colombian(s).
Population (2005 projected): 46 million.
Annual population growth: 1.8%.
Religion: Roman Catholic 90%.
Language: Spanish.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Attendance--80% of children enter school. Only 5 years of primary school are offered in many rural areas. Literacy--93% in urban areas, 67% in rural areas.
Health: Infant mortality rate--25/1,000. Life expectancy (2000-05 period)--men 69 yrs., women 75 yrs.
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (58%), white (20%), mulatto (14%), black (4%), mixed black-Amerindian (3%) and Amerindian (1%).

 

 Missions Accomplished:

 

 

            2006

Doctors Across the Americas completed their first mission to Colombia which much success.  Over 3000 people received quality medical attention  for 6 days.  A 40 foot long container was sent filled with medical equipment and medical supplies

valued over $100,000.   Our team consisted of medical and non medical volunteers.

“The children suffer from malnutrition and looked so much younger than their age. “ Morgen Bernius, MD, Pediatrician explains, “They all were sweet and the parents were so happy to see us.  You have a chance to give people hope, laughter and respect, which they deserve.”  Dr. Bernius is a Pediatrician in the Maryland area.

 

 

Colombia also has a lot of local support including doctors from the community that also help donate their time to make the mission a success.  We have local translators from the high schools of Bolivar, Colombo, Britanico and Canaverales in Cali, Colombia.  Many of these children have never been to this area of their own country.  They assisted in the medical interpretation to the patients.  We receive donations from local vendors for food, medicine and transportation for the volunteers.

 

        

An example of a patient that needed a sense of hope is Manuel(names have been changed to respect the patient’s privacy).  This 70 year old man was found by the volunteers in Colombia that go out in the community and find the patients that need medical attention.  Manuel’s neighbor, Gloria,  ran out and called the volunteers over.  Gloria explained that Manuel had a strange growth on his neck and everyone is afraid of him. He has been isolated from society and not accepted in his community.  Armando Sardi, MD saw him during the mission and immediately knew he needed surgery.  Manuel was shy and somewhat frightened as he could not believe he was actually getting help and someone was going to help him.  The next day, Manuel and Gloria arrived for surgery.  Dr. Sardi removed the mass from Manuel’s head and the results were a benign slow-growing soft tissue tumor.  Manuel left the hospital with a smile on his face and heartfelt sense of gratitude.  “I feel normal again.”  Manuel said. 

2007

 

This year, we have doubled in size as a volunteer team and provided medical attention to over 4000 patients.  This year we started a Day Care Center for the children waiting to see the Pediatricians.  We donated crayons, markers, books, puzzles and coloring books to the children.  This was a huge success for the children.  They enjoyed playing and having fun.  Also, this year, we were able to feed all the patients that entered the hospital for the mission..  We received support from a local vendor that wanted to feed all the patients. 

 

 

“I feel like you all are a special gift sent to us” a patient commented as she waited to see Ernesto Rivera, OBGYN.   It took three hours to be seen but the Mother and three boys waited patiently.   

 

We performed many types of surgeries, breast biopsies, thyroid biopsies, and tonsilectomies.  Over 300 surgeries were performed this year.  Patients walk for hours for have an opportunity to see a doctor. 

 

We were accompanied by so much Colombian support.  Business women, in the town of Cali, volunteered to help serve the United States volunteers and patients food and coffee that was also donated by local Colombian Vendors.  The translators were available to give the added support of translation. 

 

2008

 

The 2008 Mission was a terrific success helping over 5000 patients. The hospital utilized the 20 beds we donated last year for their new in-patient unit.  The in-patient unit was quite helpful as we were able to assist patients with emergency care as well as perform more complicated surgeries and have the patient receive overnight care. 
A total of 57 physicians, nurses, and non-medical volunteers embraced the patients of Colombia and helped provide care to many people. 

 

This year, we had the pleasure of an Ophthalmology team join us to perform 70 cataracts at the University hospital in Cali and at the Institute for the Deaf and the Blind.  A pediatric cardiologist joined us to perform surgeries on small children.  Our Orthopedic team provided a prosthetic leg to a boy we have helped since the very first mission.

 

Our Day Care was another great success with face painting this year thanks to the help of the translators.  The children that visit the Day Care Center have so much fun, they never want to leave. 

The high school translators from the British Schools were again a great help and support to the mission.  Their energy and motivation never ends. 

 

So, in conclusion, over 250 surgeries were performed, 70 cataracts, resulting in over 5000 patients receiving care.  Thank you volunteers for all your help and support.  Hope to see you again next year.

 

 

2009

With 82 volunteers this year, we were able to help over 10,000 patients receive medical care.  We worked out of 5 hospitals teaching Residents new technology in surgical care and providing all levels of medical attention.  

We were able to visit with past patients who returned to thank us for helping them with a new walker, prothestic limb, a new wheelchair, and surgeries that gave them each a second chance.  It is rewarding to see the happiness on their faces and the hugs that are so genuine.