Medical Brigade

The evening before we prepared with a local Doctor that volunteers his time with small communities and 7Elements. 7Elements helps to set up days and times when a medical walk-in for small communities in the area. The community we would be working in was called Bejuco Blanco. The Doctor told us that most of the medicine that will be provided by prescription from him has been acquired because of us. The cost for the program helps to pay for medicine to give to the communities. This was quite profound.

We woke up to another beautifully prepared breakfast by the fabulous ladies that have been preparing and making our meals this week. It was a nice start to the morning to get our energy up for a very long day ahead. We got to wear some scrubs today too so that we looked the part.

The bus ride wasn’t too long as we zipped around the mountain roads close to where we went earlier in the week to meet some ladies that ran a chocolate factory. It was up near that area where the work is heavily related to agriculture. Upon arrival, we were divided up into groups working at 5 different tables; registration, vitals, clinical history, doctor, and pharmacy. It was quite a small building, lots of chairs provided in the center of the room where people had to wait for their turn to speak to the doctor. 

None of us knew what to expect at the time and I certainly had no idea how this volunteering would make me feel. As someone who gets overwhelmed quite easily, I had to put on a brave face on what was to come. Not speaking fluent Spanish was difficult, but my table partner and I made a cheat sheet before patients started filing into the small church room. 

The room filled up quite quickly and was very chaotic, but my partner and I worked together very well in writing what the doctor had prescribed the patient onto a paper bag. We asked questions to the pharmacist periodically so that we got a better sense of the community and what medical care is like in the Dominican Republic. Every person was given a parasite pill as a daily supplement, except they have to take this supplement every 4 months. Everyone in the Dominican Republic takes them because of the water. It’s a precaution, especially for children because they are more likely to consume or play in bad water.

Most of the day before our lunch break was spent at one table. I learned a lot about the different conditions people showed up in and what type of medication was being prescribed to them. Being so out in the open with zero privacy between patient and anyone else was not something I was expecting to see. The locals were talking to student volunteers so openly about what was going on with them and why they were there. It made me feel uncomfortable at first, but I recovered quickly knowing that we were all there for the same reason, to help them. Even with this lack of privacy and being in front of complete strangers, it was still probably a different feeling to them; a grateful feeling. I know I wouldn’t be this open back home and surrounded by lots of people from the same community where everyone would know everything about me. It’s all quite surreal.

We had lunch in a local woman’s lovely home across the street. She let us use her facilities and relax on her back patio while we talked about the experience so far and ate good food. 

After lunch, we switched tables. My partner, Myah and I were moved to the Doctor’s table. We sat and listened to what the doctor was asking the patient, all of it in Spanish, before he helped to translate some unfamiliar words to us in English. He did a really good job explaining things for us. This table was a bit more uncomfortable because we were in the middle of this private conversation between a Doctor and his patient. Despite it being uncomfortable and everything about the day overwhelming I thought I did a good job at listening to the Doctor and learning about how the medical brigade works on a Doctor’s level. I was definitely not expecting the day to go like it did. Especially when the patients were starting to grow more and more restless in the waiting area. Some kept trying to move chairs into the Doctor’s table area to wait their turn, which ended up with them listening in on the person being consoled. I found this a little stressful.

We all went through it though and I realized on the way back how lucky I am to have the medical support I have back home. I for one often take things for granted back home because I am just so used to things being easier to access and having that privacy with your Doctor if you have a UTI. 

When we returned to the lodge I took some time to head to the beach and sit. Listening to the waves and feeling satisfied with what I accomplished today because it was a hard day for some of us. I am always grateful for the challenges though and even if today was a difficult one for my social anxieties, sensory issues, and mental health, I was really proud of myself. We helped people today. It might have looked like a small accomplishment in hindsight, but we all pushed ourselves and provided the care that this small community needed from us as volunteers.