Optometry mission with the Lions

PazSalud just completed it's third and final mission of 2015.  Partnering with various U.S. Lions Clubs, we brought an optometry mission to Tamanique with the goal of helping the patients we weren't able to see during our February mission.  The Lions brought prescription, reading and sun glasses for the community and over the course of 4.5 days, we were able to provide thorough eye exams and glasses to 471 patients, far surpassing our projected patient totals. 

In addition, working with local physicians, we were able to provide 35 needy patients with referrals into the Salvadoran national health care system so they can seek treatment for special medical conditions our mission wasn't equipped to address.  Referrals may seem routine to those of us used to modern western health care but in El Salvador, it's a significant, often difficult to obtain step forward in treating a medical issue and one were proud and happy to provide.

Setting up glasses the day before the mission starts

A young patient with her mother

A volunteer interpreter working with a patient

A Lions volunteer discussing a patient referral with a Salvadoran doctor

Mission volunteers

Absolutely essential to a successful mission is close collaboration and coordination with local volunteers and once again we’re lucky to be working with a motivated and capable team of people from Tamanique.  The volunteer team assists us with myriad tasks during the mission and without them it would be impossible for us to provide the care we do in the rural areas we like to serve.  They identify needy patients for the mission, coordinate their transport to and from the mission site, they register patients, help them navigate the various stages of the mission, interpret for our volunteers and help with many, many additional tasks.

Their dedication and devotion to helping the poorest members of their community is inspiring and we’re proud to work side-by-side with them to create a healthier and happier future for Tamanique.

Maira, our local coordinator, explaining the mission to volunteers

Discussing the patient flow at the mission site

Our diagram of where the medical team members will be located

Tamanique volunteer meeting

An important part of the planning for every PazSalud General Medical Mission is preparing the local volunteers for the 6-day experience of hosting and executing a large-scale medical event for their community.  This generally involves multiple meetings of team-building exercises and training sessions to help them identify their volunteer roles and what their specific tasks will be in addition to an orientation on the overall project.

To begin the process, I recently met with local volunteers to explain who PazSalud is, what we do and what our medical missions typically look like.  I will build on this meeting with our local coordinator and try to meet with the volunteers on a regular basis until the start of the mission.

Talking to the volunteers

An introduction and team-building exercise

Watching the PazSalud video on the 2013 General Medical Mission/2014 Eye Surgery Mission

Getting ready for the mission

With only two weeks to go before the general mission, the entire team is in high gear prepping every last detail needed to create a successful medical brigade.  

In San Pedro Perulapán we will be working inside a large spacious auditorium - here it is -

and on a recent trip to El Salvador, Kathy and I put together a rough schematic of how the operation will be set up.  What started off as some cut out post-it notes on graph paper eventually transitions to tape, marker and post-it notes on poster board.  

With a pretty solid blueprint in hand we held a meeting with our local volunteers as our coordinators Iris and Yessenia walked the team through the overall patient flow, volunteer stations and responsibilities.

New Year thanks to our favorite Salvadoran volunteers

Darren writes:

On New Year's Eve I wanted to take a moment to recognize a few of the amazing Salvadorans who make PazSalud's work easier and more effective.  Without these great women we would not be able to impact the lives we do in this incredible country.

Carmen Aviles (pictured with some of her children) has enabled us to help Gloribel go to school and continue the process of overcoming her disabilities in order to lead a happy, healthy and productive life.  As Gloribel's neighbor and godmother, she monitors her progress, addresses issues as they arise and serves as a vital conduit between Gloribel and PazSalud.

Rosa Aguiar has volunteered with PazSalud since our medical mission in her hometown, Comasagua, in 2009.  She volunteers on PazSalud's medical missions by working with patients diagnosed with cataracts and pterygiums and explaining how PazSalud can assist them in our eye surgery mission.  She plays a critical role in enrolling people and assisting us on-site with the patients during the eye surgery mission, providing local continuity and helping patients throughout the process.

Rosy Melara, a retired surgery nurse, volunteers on PazSalud's eye surgery missions as a scrub nurse.  She has also helped us build strong connections with our host hospitals.  In addition, Rosy tirelessly works with Sandra Lopez to connect her with the local resources she needs to prevail over her physical limitations.  Rosy was Sandra's first teacher and worked with her over six months to give her the basic skills and education to enter first grade.