Working Medical Clinics in Nicaragua

“I hurt here.” “I have pain all the time there.” “She doesn’t eat.” “He falls all the time when he runs.” “My child’s legs hurt at night.” “My doctor said …, what do you think?” Sometimes the doctors and nurses are there to confirm, and to affirm to the people that they are fine and to help them with pain management.

There are other times they have to clean a wound and bandage it. Sometimes they find something that could be serious and refer to them the right local doctors and authorities for long-term care. Sometimes a sore throat means they can be helped with this one visit with the provided medicine.

Whatever the doctors can do, they do it and with joy. There are times there is not much they can do, but provide a smile and direction, but that is what we are here to do, help and build relationships.

Myself, Anne, and Drs. Vicky, Earl, and Alan were elected to go ashore today. It took a bit to get into the routine for the first timers, but it wasn’t long before they were seeing patients, consulting with each other and the other medical personnel. Lots of water was drank by all, well they had better drank lots of water! I might need to check on the doctors to make sure they are taking care of themselves!

The site at Blue Fields is in a school that they closed for a week so that the military and NGOs would have a good place to set up the clinic. The engineers will be doing some minor repairs at the school while we are there. So the school also gets some benefit for closing for the week

Photos and story by Bonnie Hudlet, HOPE's Volunteer Public Affairs Officer

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