Otuzco Medical Campaign

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