The Floating Doctors: Mobile medicine comes to Panama’s jungles | Health

‘A real blessing’

On the conclusion of the second day of the clinic, the drained volunteers stroll down a muddy hill to wash within the chilly waters of a close-by river, as there are few accessible showers within the village. They towel off, have a heat dinner and string up their hammocks for a ultimate night time.

Over the previous two days, beneath the tropical warmth and rain, they noticed 133 sufferers and supplied help and remedy for a lot of maladies, from lesions and diarrhoea to fevers, cysts and being pregnant considerations.

“As a physician, you’re at all times dealing with an unsure and difficult atmosphere the place you’re questioning your self,” says Dr Geoff McCullen, an orthopaedic surgeon and professor on the College of New England Faculty of Osteopathic Drugs. “This week, I believe our college students realized they’ll face uncertainty, they’ll face challenges, handle these complexities concurrently and be decisive about what a affected person wants.”

After dusk, sporting headlamps, the group discusses the medical circumstances they witnessed and displays on an expertise that pushed them out of their consolation zones, each as individuals and budding professionals.

“I’ve had so many firsts this week,” stated Cristina Kontogiannis, a second-year medical scholar on the College of New England Faculty of Osteopathic Drugs. “I’ve by no means listened to a child’s lungs and I acquired to do this right here, for instance. It’s been such a studying expertise and I’m so grateful for this chance.”

Serrano and the individuals of La Sabana are grateful as properly. He stated that La Sabana is a close-knit neighborhood and at their common conferences they typically reward and voice continued help for the visits from the Floating Medical doctors.

“We’ve got a number of want right here. We’ve got a number of sufferers that undergo from continual illnesses and a number of accidents reminiscent of snake bites, machete cuts or youngsters with damaged bones,” Serrano stated. “We’re content material and happy with the Floating Medical doctors, and so they’ve taught the way to be higher geared up to take care of accidents and emergency points, and that wasn’t at all times the case.”

On the ultimate morning, the Floating Medical doctors load the duffel baggage filled with medical tools and strap them to the pack horses to start the journey again to headquarters. The descent by way of the humid and boggy rainforest is less complicated than the trek up, and there’s a sense of pleasure among the many group, who chuckle and sing in the course of the sunny morning trek.

The bus awaits the group at Pueblo Nuevo, makes a cease for lunch, and drops the group off on the port, the place they load boats, strap on their lifejackets and zip again throughout the Caribbean. After arriving, the jubilant and exhausted crew adjustments into swimming wear. They take a ultimate group photograph after which, collectively, soar into the nice and cozy and clear waters surrounding the island.

In three months’ time, one other group of Floating Medical doctors volunteers will make this similar trek to La Sabana to supply care to residents in want. A couple of others will keep on to Wari – about an hour’s stroll deeper into the rainforest – to go to Omayra.

“Due to Omayra’s situation and incapacity to stroll, I can’t work or depart her facet, and we don’t have the cash to pay to move her to the hospital,” stated Julian Abrego, Omayra’s father. “The truth that the Floating Medical doctors come all the way in which to our house to take care of Omayra, that’s a real blessing for us.”

Reporting for this story was supported by the Worldwide Middle for Journalists (ICFJ) Well being Innovation Fellowship.