Hola amigos,
Sadly, today is our last full day in Guatemala. Early tomorrow morning we will head to the airport in Guatemala City, where most of us will fly to Houston, then a few of us will fly onward to other locations.
Yet we have taken full advantage of the day, starting early one last time. At the end of breakfast, we had a chance to thank the amazing chefs and wait staff that have served us delicious food and drinks with impeccable service all week. Then we quickly boarded the busses and were on our way back to Antigua by 8am.
The ride back takes a few hours, but even our time on the bus is interesting. On previous days, Team Leader Phil Johnson treated us to a “live podcast” over four episodes. He first explained the history of FIP, then described the history of spirituality in Guatemala as well as the main events and results of the Spanish conquest, and then the history of the Guatemalan Civil war. Each of these stories are full of surprising details that most of us know little about before visiting Guatemala, such as the downfall of Mayan leader Tecun Uman during battle with Spanish conquistadors, and the legend that his spirit animal, the quetzal bird, flew down to him as he was dying and thus received the red breast we see on the bird today from Tecun Uman’s blood.
Phil gave us a “bonus episode” today on the development of Hospital Hilario Galindo in Retalhuleu. This is the second hospital where FIP’s surgery teams perform their work (the other is in Antigua). I remember visiting the hospital about 7 or 8 years ago when construction and repairs were still underway in certain parts of the building, so we set up a village clinic in the rear, with a few clinics like the pharmacy and laboratory working completely outdoors—something that I haven’t seen since! We were most fortunate to have a chance to stop by the hospital today and take a quick tour. This was interesting even to those of us that have visited before, because the hospital continues to grow and make improvements, like adding a set of solar panels on the roof and a new water tank. Hopefully we can return in another year or two and see even more changes completed.
After arriving back in Antigua in the afternoon, we had some free time to see the colonial city’s sights and attractions before gathering for a final group dinner. I had the opportunity to visit the former site of FIP’s first partner hospital, attached to Las Obras Sociales del Santo Hermano Pedro. As Phil explained in one of his bus talks, this historic hospital site has been run by Franciscan friars for decades and once served as a home to the disabled and abandoned, though a few years ago they moved these patients to another location just outside Antigua. From the outside, the building is another example of Antigua’s many ornate colonial-era buildings, painted in bright yellow. It was thus special to see from outside, but even more special knowing what was, and is, inside.
Now I have one last bit of information to share before I sign off: the patient totals for the week (the numbers are a bit rough because many patients went to multiple clinics). Over four days of clinical work, our team of 22 American volunteers, local and non-local Guatemalan volunteers, and FIP staff saw the following numbers of patients:
General: 414
Pediatrics: 149
Gynecology: 75
VIA: 121
Lab: 400+
Mobility (this includes patients that were examined for wheelchairs as well as for canes and walkers): 126
Referrals (patients who will receive additional care through FIP, from upcoming surgery teams and other means): 294
Dermatology: 84
Grand total: 1237 patients
Some of these patients received a difficult prognosis. For some there was little we could do to help. But many others received medication that will ease their pain, clear up an infection, or help keep a chronic condition under control. Some had their ear canals cleaned out and can now hear better than before. Many received a pair of reading glasses that will help them accomplish some daily activities more easily. Vitamins will assist growing children, pregnant women, and anyone in need of some extra nutrients in their diet. Dozens of patients received wheelchairs and other ambulatory aids that will help them to move around more safely and independently, or will help a caretaker. Upcoming surgery teams will repair hernias, prolapses, and bad hips or knees. But for those patients with simpler aches and pains, or a variety of unanswered questions about their health, they had the comfort of reassurance that they are, or will soon be, okay.
Thanks for following along with us this past week and huge thanks to all those that donated to FIP, as well as to those that let their loved ones take off for a week.
Hasta luego, y gracias a todos,
Josie
To support this team and their commitment to our patients visit https://donate.faithinpractice.org/team/373443
