You already know about our medical missions trip. But you may be wondering....."what, exactly, goes on during a medical clinic"? It's a simple system, really, but it works in a missions environment. The patient first goes to "triage", where his name, weight, age, and blood pressure etc. are taken. Then he waits until the doctor is free. We had 2 physicians with us, so we could shuffle them through without too long a wait. Once the doctor finishes the examination, the patient waits at pharmacy while his prescription is being filled (every patient got something, even if it was just vitamins and a toothbrush). Once the patient receives his meds, and instructions on how to use them, he is free to go.
I've given a lot of thought to what medical teams like ours do. Sure, it's a temporary fix in many cases. But is it a waste of time?
Try this thought experiment: you are living in one of the communities we served. It's a hot, dry climate; there is no running water or indoor plumbing, and you can find every disease imaginable. Everyone's hungry and dehydrated. You make 3 dollars a day, and 2 dollars of that goes to rent a squalid little shack. Needless to say, there's no access to good medical care. Wouldn't you be happy to see the team of Americans coming into your neighborhood, offering free medical care in Jesus' name?
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