Medical Mission to Mexico Presentation
Posted by Kevin Webb on Jan 05, 2017
Medical Mission to Mexico Presentation
Thursday, January 5, 2017
This morning club member David Knoppert gave a wonderful presentation on his recent medical mission trip to the Lake Chapala region of Mexico. This mission was a joint Rotary Festival City Stratford and Rotary Ajijic, Mexico project to provide medical clinic support to the people in the villages in the hills around Lake Chapala. The 24 member team provided health and hygiene teaching, reading glasses for those with close vision deficit, physiotherapy assessments and treatments, medical assessment and treatments by Physicians and Nurses, limited lab testing and full pharmacy support. To View David's powerpoint presentation go to: Mexico Medical Mission Presentation or the file download section on the homepage.
David and "pharmacy staff" in a well stocked farmacia at the Women's Clinic in Ajijic
There were some challenges encountered getting to and into Mexico. They left very early from Toronto but their flight had to be diverted to Fort Worth, Texas because of fog in Houston. By the time they returned to Houston their connecting flight to Guadalajara, Mexico had already left. 5 hours later they were on their way. When they went through customs in Mexico the authorities confiscated 75% of the medications because they were not in their original containers. Also, their original accommodations weren't available as they weren't guaranteed with a deposit and they arrived in Ajijic very late after a very long day. Alternate accommodations were available but they weren't quite as nice.
The first few day were almost a vacation but when they finally made it out to the outlying villages of San Pedro and Mescala they made a real difference. In 31/2 days saw and treated over 750 residents of these 2 desperately poor communities. David, as the "resident pharmacist" was kept very busy filling the prescriptions written by the doctors and nurses to help the patients.
It was a very tired yet fulfilled group of Canadian volunteers who returned to Canada on November 12th.
As a follow-up to this medical mission, the Rotary Clubs in Ajijic are starting to pay more attention to the needs of the people in the poor villages outside of Ajijic. Perhaps the legacy for this first mission to this region is that the local Rotary clubs will make a real and sustainable difference to the lives of the poor residents of these communities.
The team of volunteers
David and his pharmacist assistant outside the makeshift "farmacia"
David presenting the R/C of Ajijic banner to President Steve Teske