Central Texas Medical Center is setting records far away from San Marcos.
A 15-member team of medical professionals from CTMC recently traveled to Honduras for the hospital’s third consecutive mission trip to the region. The team treated a record 1,056 patients in four days.
“We offered very basic health care, but at least the people got in to see a doctor,” physical therapist Tonya Huston said.
Clinics were set up in local schools and chapels where patients explained their problems to the doctor, received a brief exam and were given vitamins, anti-parasitics and other medications. Some patients were in need of more critical care for badly-infected wounds.
Huston said she treated one man who was in danger of losing his arm due to infection from a nail wound. She and the team cleaned and packed the wound and offered strong antibiotics.
“By the time we left, he was doing much better,” Huston said.
The crew spent one day operating a small clinic out of a church and three days treating people in mountain villages.
“Those we served had nothing to pay us with, but we felt the reward and satisfaction of giving freely and feeling the love and gracious kindness of God’s beautiful people in Honduras,” said Karen Morris, CTMC administrative director of Ancillary Services, who also coordinates the annual trip. “We have talked for a while at CTMC about our pathway to mission advancement, I believe part of that pathway leads through the mountains and villages of Honduras.”
Volunteers spent evenings with the children at Casita Feliz, an inpatient malnutrition program operated by Pan American Health Services. Children living in the home are admitted for severe malnutrition and range in age from newborns to eight year olds.
“Children are dropped off by family members and sometimes they’re never picked up,” Huston said.
Those who cannot return home are cared for at the on-site orphanage.
“The children’s smiles, the look in their eyes and their hugs will live in my heart forever,” Rafaela Cruz said, CTMC’s emergency department registration employee. “Meeting the patients and learning about their everyday lives was very interesting and fascinating and they were so appreciative for the care they received.”
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
