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I kept these good words in mind during the week of clinics. We saw hundreds of people over the week. There was an array of medical problems, with headache and abdominal pain perhaps the most frequent. We treated asthma, pneumonia, scabies, impetigo and intestinal parasites. The family medicine physicians treated hypertension and diabetes as well. Many Salvadorans on medications for chronic medical conditions were unable to afford the drugs, so only received the medications intermittently. There were a few less common cases—congenital hypothyroidism, a thigh mass, undiagnosed hearing loss, untreated seizure disorder with hemiparesis. We worked with Salvadoran physicians in arranging for appropriate diagnostic tests and referral to specialists.
Salvadorans touch more that we do, and I think most of us on the brigade adopted these gestures over time—touching as we greeted each other and parted, and frequently as we spoke to each other. Some of the time, that is all that we could give. One mother told me her husband had died of AIDS soon after her second child was born. She herself had HIV infection, but her children were not infected. To survive, she relied on handouts from friends and neighbors, but she was unable to work outside the home. She had missed one of her appointments in San Salvador, so was refused refill of her medications. She had found a doctor to prescribe the medications that month, but was unsure whether she would be accepted back into the clinic. Her children had minor problems, easy to treat, but for the mother, I could offer only my ears, and an embrace at the end.
| The children are so beautiful, and came dressed in their best clothes. The people waited for hours, many all day, but were gracious and thankful. We laughed together at times, and were sad at others. Throughout the week I remembered Father Rob’s homily, about all being equal in the eyes of God, and about sharing in each other’s joy and suffering. |  |
The health promoters, Salvadorans who work with their communities to maintain and improve the health of their communities, had worked for months with Sister Eleanor and Sister Barbara to organize the brigade. They expressed hope and determination on the Sunday before the clinic started, and worked with us during the clinic days. As the week unfolded, the success of the clinic gave credence to their optimism.
Father Rob joined us one day, and worked as a translator in the optometry room. He told me later that he had needed an infusion of hope, and so had taken that day off to work in the clinic.
On the Saturday after clinic, I traveled with one of the Salvadoran physicians, Daniel, his uncle, and Daniel’s friend to an island in one of the estuaries. The island had no regular medical care. Daniel had collected donated medical supplies and held three clinics in the community over the previous year. The islanders were effusive with their praise for Daniel, and their gratitude for his commitment to their island. Daniel has a dream of building a small clinic building on the island, training some of the residents on basic emergency care and care of mothers and infants during and after delivery. As most of the island residents are fishermen, lacerations are common. There are currently no midwives on the island, so grandmothers assist their daughters in the delivery of the babies. On the drive back to San Salvador, Daniel’s uncle thanked me for coming, saying that visitors from other countries help them continue with their work.