Operativo Medico La Victoria - a Health Fair

Health insurance is only available in this country to very wealthy people.  The rest of the folks generally just have to ignore getting regular medical treatment because they don't have the money.  There are many free clinics, but not in small towns.

Here we are way out in the country.

We drove to La Victoria, a little town about an hour north of Santo Domingo, to film a medical fair that was taking place there.  One of our Public Affairs directors who is a nurse had organized this amazing event which matched the poor people in this town with medical doctors and other services.  The Lion's Club also partnered with our church on this event.

The main street in La Victoria

We love the way folks here dry their clothes - in the country, they put them over bushes and rocks.

As we've probably already mentioned, Dominican time is at least 30 minutes to an hour later than the scheduled time.  But when we arrived before the 8:30 time when the event was to begin, the chapel was already filled to overflowing.

Here's the full chapel and then they added another row
of chairs behind.

 Here's the chapel with a line outside which got longer.

Unfortunately, the medicos didn't arrive until 9:15, but that wasn't unexpected.  There was a pediatrician, two general medicine doctors, an optometrist, and a heart ekg specialist. In addition, there were several nurses responsible for dispensing donated medication  per the prescriptions that the doctors might write.  In addition, two barbers were giving free haircuts in one of the rooms.

Here are four of our missionaries ready to present.

Young adults, including some missionaries, put on a puppet show similiar to the one that we showed you from Clay's visit.  This helped entertain the kids while they were waiting to be seen.  Over 500 people were there and were seen by one doctor or another.  It was such a touching experience to see the needs of so many people tried to be met.

 Here is the table overflowing with pills and medicine samples that had been donated.  They eventually added three more tables because of all the things that had been given including a box full of reading glasses.

Here is Rosa Paulino who organized everything.  When we first arrived here, our public affairs director, in describing her to me before we met her, told me that she was really old.  She's a year younger than me, so I must be as old as dirt!

 Here's a whole series of photos that we just took of the darling kids and families that were there.  They loved having me take their picture, and then they ran up wanting to see it.  Aren't the kids cute?

I love this little boy who just kept starring at me.

This little boy kept trying to get into every photo.

Look at all the work that went into their hair do.

And this one as well.

But this was the winner - we see women like this frequently just walking
down the street.

Here's the whole family - such cuties.

This little boy had the biggest eyes.

We think that we've mentioned how everyone poses for pictures here - can you see the little girl in front?

Here was a sweet mother with her girls. 

All three of these boys were diagnosed with heart
problems and referred to Heart Care Dominicana
where our church has donated special equipment for little ones,
and it's free!

I never saw these four siblings with a parent that day. 

Here are the Lion's Club members who helped so much.

The halls were crowded and everyone was very busy.         

Here's wider view of the other side of the river. 

 We went a little different way on the way home.  In crossing over a large bridge, we could look down to see the poor little shanties that were built along the river.  These always flood whenever there's a tropical storm or hurricane, but then they "rebuild".  Such a tough life...