After two group meetings/information sessions with our eye surgery patient candidates the next step for them is to complete the extensive series of pre-surgical exams at The National Hospital of Cojutepeque, the medical center hosting PazSalud for the Eye Surgery Mission on May 12-17. Since we are only allowed to bring 5 patients per day for pre-exams and we hope to have 65 people participate in the mission, Yessenia - our local coordinator - and I have been slowly working our way through the group for several weeks now.
Our days begin at 7:00 at the hospital when the group of patients meets with the social worker who helps them with the first step; getting a hospital file. For many of our patients, this is their first time at the hospital, for some a first contact with Salvadoran doctors. Connecting Salvadorans with their own government-sponsored, free health care system is one of the beneficial by-products of PazSalud missions. Once the patients are registered at the hospital, the next step is to have a blood test, followed by a chest x-ray, an EKG and the taking of weights and measurements. The days usually end by 1:30 with an internist interviewing patients to evaluate their fitness for surgery and so far everyone has qualified. With a dozen patients to go we hope the streak continues.
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