GHV Guatemala Mission 2024
August 2, 2024
From April 12th to April 21, a team of 10 Global Health Volunteers and 2 GHM Staff traveled to Esquipulas, Guatemala for a 10-day primary care mission. The team continued to work side-by-side with in-country partners from the Benedictine Community in Esquipulas, the Ministry of Health, and local health promoters.
Mission Highlights
The ongoing partnership with the community and the pastoral clinics was truly a shining moment during our mission. Each day, we collaborated closely with two dedicated Guatemalan nurses and a rotating cast of two to five spirited community workers, all of whom were crucial in keeping the patient flow smooth and efficient. However, we faced a challenge in the form of a shortage of interpreters. But, as luck would have it, on the second day, we stumbled upon a gem—a truck driver who had spent some time in the US and spoke English! He stepped up to the plate and became our enthusiastic interpreter for physical therapy, bringing not just his language skills but also a contagious energy that invigorated the entire team.
Follow-up
A list of 48 referrals were given to our partners in Guatemala for patient follow-up. 6 were for food scarcity and nutrition assistance, 4 for seizures, 12 for eye issues, and others that included surgeries, heart defects, fractures, prolapse, violence, dental issues, sacral dimple, and prosthetics. To cover the cost of these follow-ups, GHM volunteers left $5000 to pay for the costs with the promise of more funds if necessary. During the April mission, we were presented with a budget and an accounting for how the money was spent from last year's referrals.
