The Friends of Barnabas Foundation is hard at work trying to provide medical care to the underserved and resource poor population of rural Honduras. Honduras is the poorest of the Central and South American countries and medical and dental care is badly lacking.

Our team of three doctors, two nurses, and a dentist were able to visit five remote villages in the mountains of central Honduras. We treated 919 people in the medical clinic, treating infections, skin diseases and screening for major health problems. 239 people had eye exams and were fitted for glasses. 531 patients received deworming medication, as the Honduran water supply is heavily contaminated and  Hondurans carry three types of intestinal parasites that cause malnutrition. 140 people had rotten teeth removed. The population knows little of oral hygiene and the children chew on sugar cane like a pacifier. Their teeth are full of cavities early on.

Our team had wonderful support from local Hondurans. Programs are being instituted to improve education about basic health and sanitation. A cardiac surgery team comes annually to provide the only open heart surgery in the entire country. The cleft lip and palate surgical team provides high quality on going care  of Honduran children with this birth defect. I will be joining that team in April of 2012.

To see more photos of my journey please visit my Facebook page 

Related posts:

1. Impact Honduras: Sustainable Change For 2012