13 June 2007
U.S. Reservists Take Medical Care to Guatemalans
Partnership for a Better Life
Journeying up more than 3,000 meters above sea level, a group of U.S. military medical specialists treated more than 5,800 patients in the San Marcos region of Guatemala.
During a medical assistance mission called New Horizons, the U.S. team treated such conditions as parasites, gastritis, muscular-skeletal pain, diarrhea, upper respiratory infections and a broad range of other medical problems.
New Horizons is a joint engineer and medical humanitarian and civic assistance exercise conducted annually in Central and South America. Military specialists also constructed clinics and water wells.
"We purchased $50,000 in medications for this mission and have exhausted our supplies due to the volume of patients that have come to receive free medical care," said Melissa Triche, a medical planner for the U.S. military's International Health Specialist Program.
For the medical team members, the mission provided a chance to immerse themselves in a foreign culture. One of the big hurdles was communicating with the patients, most of whom spoke only Spanish.
"At first it was challenging dealing with patients and learning to communicate [in Spanish] with them," said medical technician John Gillespie.
But "pain and sickness are universal," he said. "After a few words, you can tell what's going on with them and get them the care they need."
For the group's leader, language was not a problem. Roberto Caro, a surgeon and Puerto Rico native, was able not only to communicate effectively with the patients, but also to help the group deal with the Guatemalan military and medical staff.
"Being bilingual has helped tremendously," Caro said. "I can relate to the patients, and they can relate to me. I think patients open up more to me because they aren't going through a third person."
Berner Stuardo Vivar Rivera, a doctor with the Guatemalan army, had the opportunity to work alongside the U.S. medical specialists, treating patients as well as providing consultations when the American physicians had questions.
"I want to express my gratitude to the group," he said. "I've seen the unselfishness of everyone, giving their knowledge and expertise in helping my people here without discrimination."
Vivar was "a great asset," Caro said. "He was able to explain customs and local remedies. It's been a fantastic exchange of medical knowledge."
"It's harder than I expected and more physically demanding than anything I normally do," said dentist Joan Salido.
"The condition of the children's teeth was bothersome because [tooth decay is] such an easily prevented disease. It's just disheartening at times, but it's also rewarding to know you're helping them to get on a better road to health."
The four-person dental team saw an average of 67 patients each day and extracted more than 1,100 teeth.
A three-person optometry team screened more than 1,600 patients and fitted about 750 of them with prescription eyeglasses.
"It's evident that the high altitude is hard on the eyes," said Clifton Poling, an optometrist. "The area gets more ultraviolet damage and cataracts." It is also a matter of "not being taken care of," he said, "because health care isn't readily available or is beyond their reach."
"I saw an 86-year-old patient who had cataract surgery several years ago. The lens in her eye was removed and never replaced," Poling said. "We were able to give her some plus-10 lenses, and she could see. She just sat there and smiled."
In addition to the four Spanish-speaking medics on the team, the mission was supplemented by 28 students from nearby San Carlos College.
"The interpreters did a fantastic job," Caro said. "I don't think we could have done this great a job without them."
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
