By: Linda Diep
Students singing the Ecuadorian national anthem.
For my Springbreak this semester, I had the opportunity to go on a public health service trip to Riobamba, Ecuador. I went with a group of twenty-nine undergraduate and graduate students from the George Washington University for a 10-day trip setting up makeshift clinics in various rural areas of Riobamba. As a local chapter of MedLife, a nonprofit based in New York that provides sustainable healthcare solutions through mobile clinics to poverty-stricken areas in Peru, Ecuador, and Panama, our group saw an estimated 500 patients during our medical brigade.
During the week, we visited five different grade schools where we setup the clinics to address the basic health needs of the local people. We were accompanied by three physicians and a pharmacist, all natives of Ecuador. The clinics contained stations that volunteers rotated positions each day. One day, you would shadow the dentist and assist her in extracting teeth, while the next day you were at the pharmacy where you would cut pills and instruct patients on dosage and treatment.
Patients coming into the clinic.
We saw an average of 100 patients a day. Common ailments suffered by those coming through included Type 2 diabetes among the adults and malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, and burns and fungus due to the harsh climate among the children.
Albendazole available at the pharmacy.
Present in the pharmacy was albendazole, a drug to treat several of the seven most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) such as ascariasis (roundworm), trichuriasis (whipworm), and hookworm. Several of the child patients were prescribed albendazole by the internal medicine physician, however, worm infestation was not as prevalent among the population as the aforementioned health conditions.
The patients were very welcoming, and showed their appreciation through friendly handshakes, kind words, and gifts in the form of food. Age groups of patients spanned from infancy to about 15 years old, and 45 to 65 years old. One patient was as old as 91. Mostly women were seen.
Volunteer takes a patient's temperature at vitals station.
My favorite station of the week was the vitals station. Each patient that came through had to stop at this station to document their weight, height, blood pressure, and temperature. Thus, I was able to talk to every individual that passed through that day. The conversations and small banter exchanged were very rewarding, and solidified the feeling that we were actually making an impact.
The trip reminded me that providing basic healthcare is a fundamental part of the continuum of care. Thus, it is essential to treat diseases such as NTDs which contribute to the cycle of poverty. To do your part, visit our “Get Involved” page on the Global Network website, or join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
