The November Flying Samaritans clinics took place at Adolfo Lopez Mateos and Laguna San Ignacio. We were fortunate to have a staff of general medicine, a pediatrician, obstetrics/gynecology, dental hygienists, optometry, chiropractors, interpreters and a pharmacist at the Lopez clinic and a doctor for the LSI clinic. This resulted in 238 services provided to patients on Saturday at Lopez and 72 prescriptions were dispensed. Additionally, the optometry group (Scott Farrell, Lauri Johnson and Tara, a student optician) arrived in Lopez on Thursday and promptly saw 20 patients from the cannery for eye exams. On Friday they saw about 98 students and faculty at the local elementary school for eye exams and vision screenings and took orders for eye glasses. Back at the clinic in the late afternoon an additional group of patients came from the cannery for the eye exams making a total of 159 patients seen prior to the Saturday clinic. A big thank you goes out to all of the volunteers who attended this trip and to those volunteers who manage and put things together for each trip. Also the involvement of the Santa Barbara Aeromédicos is always appreciated.
We frequently need paper towels and t.p. at the clinic, so if you can bring a roll the next time you come it would be most appreciated. And, no, we do not need a giant Costco package of either–just not enough room in the planes. Also a reminder that Covid vaccinations are still required for clinic trips and masks are required for patients and providers at the clinic.
From time to time, I like to ask new volunteers for their impressions of the clinic trips. Here is what Corey Lovett, a new interpreter had to say: “I participated in one of the clinic trips recently. It was my first time and I was impressed to witness so many acts of kindness everywhere I looked. What an inspiration to see many people come together and work to create an atmosphere of care and healing. It’s clear that untold amounts of time and effort have been contributed by many caring individuals to build and maintain this clinic and to develop many relationships of trust and love with the people of the community. Being there, you clearly feel that you are working alongside some of the most incredible, but humble people. I’m very grateful I was able to have this experience.”
Our next clinic is scheduled for December 16-18. This will include our annual children’s party at the Hotel Serenidad on Friday evening. We need a Santa volunteer! 🙂 Please check your calendars and contact your specialty coordinator to sign up for this trip.
Season’s greetings to one and all,
Bonnie Lassen