I had the opportunity to join "Meeting God in Missions" in January, 2016 for a week trip to Hato Mayor, Dominican Republic. It was a large group with many different ministry teams. I was able to work the medical team, which consisted of 4 providers, several nurses, and various other helpers.
Our team held medical clinics in several different sugar cane villages throughout the week. These are villages comprised of the workers and families who work the sugar cane fields. It is not a particularly well-paying job. Many of the workers are actually Haitian who have crossed the border illegally, and have no regular access to healthcare.
You never know quite what you're going to get in these types of clinics. We saw everything from hypertension, diabetes, urinary tract infections, colds, abscesses, and wounds to lice, joint problems, dehydration and stomach parasites. All told, we saw over 200 patients of varying ages that week.
Kim's Kaps graciously donated a number of beautiful caps that came in handy. One of our providers specialized in sports medicine and joints, a big blessing since joint pain is a big complaint for the sugar cane workers. He administered many injections in various joints, and the caps helped keep things a little bit cleaner, as well as kept the sweat out of his eyes.
Another of our providers also ended up needing to debride a wound, and the caps were helpful in keeping things as clean as possible in an open-air setting. Thank you so much Kim's Kaps for your part in our trip!
