1 attending doctor.
8 volunteers.
90 patients.
The medical campaign was a disastrous success. The campaign was set to start a 9am, but when we arrived at 8:15, there was already a good number of people waiting around in a makeshift line. We were given a tiny room with one desk, a bed adjacent to it, and three chairs as our examination room. The clock struck 9 and we started taking care of the patients three at a time. Everything was going well at the beginning. Everyone stumbled a little to get into rhythm, but by everyone's second patient, we were all more or less comfortable with taking vitals and documenting their major complaints.
Disaster loomed ahead as things started to awry. We were supposed to be working with three attending doctors, but two never showed up. The two thermometers we were using were dropped and broken within the hour. At the same time, the line had started to wrap around itself for the second time, with the last few patients huddled around the side of the building. The numbering system we had for ordering our patients didn't work out as well when family members requested to be seen together, even though they were numbers apart. (Why weren't they waiting in line together?) By the time I called out to my fifth patient, I noticed the line had turned into a big ball of heads congesting the hallway. And before we knew, the number of patients were overwhelming and supply of medicine was dwindling. We were forced to stop accepting patients early. Those with a prescription we cannot fulfill were asked to purchase it elsewhere.
In the controlled chaos of the examination room, I heard no complaints. Everyone was working together diligently. The spanish speakers helped those volunteers struggling to utter a medical term. Those more practiced in taking blood pressure assisted those who couldn't find the pulse. We were all thriving on this experience; feeding off the frustration and regurgitating careful, concise examinations.
I think I speak for all the volunteers and the lone ranger doctor that things didn't go as we had planned. Decisions were made on-the-go and accomodations were made. The orderly, slow-paced procedures familiar to me in a doctors office in the U.S. did not exist here. Thankfully. This is an eye-opening experience I hope all future ImaginationsPeru volunteers could take back home. I invite everyone to abandon their pre-conceived notions and expectations so that you can gain the full experience. I promise it won't be disappointing.
Andy Tu
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Chocolatada en El Progreso
On December 23rd, as an early Christmas present to the town of El Progreso, Imaginations Inc. hosted a chocolatada for the local children and their families. A chocolatada is a Peruvian tradition characterized by hot chocolate and paneton (a dessert bread), where the community comes together to celebrate and have some family fun. Thanks to generous donations to Imaginations via a toy drive, and a lot of hard work by our social work volunteers, we were able to bring hundreds of bright smiles to the faces of the children of El Progreso and their families. While 83 families registered to receive gifts at the chocolatada, well over twice as many ended up coming to the celebration. Luckily, because of the selfless donations we received, we were able to share with far more families than anticipated.
Although the basic idea of handing out hot chocolate, paneton, and gifts already sounds fun, the true joy of the chocolatada came as the children and the volunteers broke down language and age barriers to share a lot of laughs. Cries of “Apache! Apache!”( a game in which children are flown around by increasingly weary volunteers), and “por favooor” (indicating the volunteers-- now dripping with sweat but smiling widely-- had to tell children to let them rest for a minute), could be heard throughout. We even had Efren Martinez-Bernal, a clinical medicine volunteer, dress up as Papa Noel (santa) and play with the children. The excitement surrounding the surprise visit was tangible, as squeals of “PAPA NOEL PAPA NOEL!!!” filled the air. By the time night fell and it was time to say our goodbyes, children had to be physically removed from the arms of our volunteers, who might be persuaded never to let go otherwise. And vice versa.
Thankfully, our volunteers will get the opportunity to contribute to the children and families of El Progreso once more before leaving, as they will serve the needs of this impoverished community on Thursday, January 6th, at our free medical campaign in the town. While the volunteers showed up thinking they were bringing an early Christmas present to the children of El Progreso, it’s safe to say that they received the ultimate gift themselves: memories to last a lifetime.
"I'm Sorry I'm Not Sorry."
January 2nd, 2011. Two…thousand….eleven. Who would have thought that I would be here in Peru—Pacasmayo, Peru to be exact—to celebrate the dawn of a new decade? But honestly, I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year than in a country that I have grown to love like my second home.
I don’t think that I can even put into words how many amazing experiences and memories I’ve made here in Peru these last few weeks, so I’ll just list a few suggestions I’ve come up with from this New Year’s weekend in Pacasmayo.
1. Look both ways when you cross the street. This is actually true everywhere in Peru. You know how in the U.S. people just assume that cars will stop for them, so they don’t even look up from texting on their phones when they cross a street? Well, you have an 80% chance of being run over by a combi, micro, taxi, or rickshaw faster than you can say “tortilla” here in Peru.
2. Speaking of tortillas, they’re not what you think. Tortillas are not flat, thin breads made from corn or flour but are actually what we know in the U.S. as omelettes. They are generally made with a variety of vegetables, usually onions and tomatoes, and your choice of meat. Words can mean a variety of things in different Latin American countries, so I would suggest caution in your choice of verbage. I do know, with absolute certainty though that “uvas” do not mean “olas” and “centimos” does not mean “sentimientos”.
3. When you are tanning on the beach, reapply sunscreen every hour. Unless you want to look like burnt toast, I would suggest NOT falling asleep for a couple hours on the beach and forgetting to reapply sunscreen. Peru is a bit closer to the equator than Arizona, so the ultraviolet radiation is a bit stronger…
4. There is no time to be sick in Peru. I think all 32 of us were sick at one point or another from the change in climate, food, or other various reasons, but there is so much to see and do that it is really a shame to stay in bed all day. For example, in Pacasmayo, one can surf, walk along the shore, shop at the many street vendors lining the beachfront, or eat some great seafood.
5. Beware though! Food may take a while to be served. It’s not unusual to wait a couple hours or more for a meal in Pacasmayo. I don’t know if it is just this time of year or if it is a difference in lifestyle, but if you’re really hungry you should probably carry around snacks. I think the upside to this situation is that you can partake in a lot of conversation with your friends at the table while waiting. The food was delicious and reasonably priced though, so it was worth the wait.
6. My last and most important suggestion to you, my dear friends and family, is to come here with an open mind. I’ve always been a firm believer in “never staying comfortable”, i.e. taking a risk and always trying to make a positive experience out of it. I'm sorry I'm not sorry that I’ve had my share of laughs, awkward moments, and outdoors adventures here. I wouldn’t trade it for a million soles….or tortillas. :)
Chau for now,
Triza A.K.A Panda
I don’t think that I can even put into words how many amazing experiences and memories I’ve made here in Peru these last few weeks, so I’ll just list a few suggestions I’ve come up with from this New Year’s weekend in Pacasmayo.
1. Look both ways when you cross the street. This is actually true everywhere in Peru. You know how in the U.S. people just assume that cars will stop for them, so they don’t even look up from texting on their phones when they cross a street? Well, you have an 80% chance of being run over by a combi, micro, taxi, or rickshaw faster than you can say “tortilla” here in Peru.
2. Speaking of tortillas, they’re not what you think. Tortillas are not flat, thin breads made from corn or flour but are actually what we know in the U.S. as omelettes. They are generally made with a variety of vegetables, usually onions and tomatoes, and your choice of meat. Words can mean a variety of things in different Latin American countries, so I would suggest caution in your choice of verbage. I do know, with absolute certainty though that “uvas” do not mean “olas” and “centimos” does not mean “sentimientos”.
3. When you are tanning on the beach, reapply sunscreen every hour. Unless you want to look like burnt toast, I would suggest NOT falling asleep for a couple hours on the beach and forgetting to reapply sunscreen. Peru is a bit closer to the equator than Arizona, so the ultraviolet radiation is a bit stronger…
4. There is no time to be sick in Peru. I think all 32 of us were sick at one point or another from the change in climate, food, or other various reasons, but there is so much to see and do that it is really a shame to stay in bed all day. For example, in Pacasmayo, one can surf, walk along the shore, shop at the many street vendors lining the beachfront, or eat some great seafood.
5. Beware though! Food may take a while to be served. It’s not unusual to wait a couple hours or more for a meal in Pacasmayo. I don’t know if it is just this time of year or if it is a difference in lifestyle, but if you’re really hungry you should probably carry around snacks. I think the upside to this situation is that you can partake in a lot of conversation with your friends at the table while waiting. The food was delicious and reasonably priced though, so it was worth the wait.
6. My last and most important suggestion to you, my dear friends and family, is to come here with an open mind. I’ve always been a firm believer in “never staying comfortable”, i.e. taking a risk and always trying to make a positive experience out of it. I'm sorry I'm not sorry that I’ve had my share of laughs, awkward moments, and outdoors adventures here. I wouldn’t trade it for a million soles….or tortillas. :)
Chau for now,
Triza A.K.A Panda
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