January 18, 2008

Serving Panamanians in need

Hundreds of patients arrived at the village of El Bale each day, most of them by foot. They had come from 36 different communities within the remote and mountainous Veraguas region of Panama to be seen by three MGH attending physicians, two medical residents, and two medical/pediatric residents who had come to provide them with as much on-site care as their medical mission would allow. From Aug. 11 through 16, more than 2,000 Panamanians of all ages received treatment as well as medications, health education and preventive care. The team included MGH attending physicians J. Ryan Jordan, MD; M. Edward Keenan, MD; and Panama native Hong Chen Cheung, MD; and residents Paritosh Prasad, MD; Marya Cohen, MD; Paul Hyman, MD; and Jessica McCannon, MD. The trip was made possible by a generous donation by Jay Cashman and was organized by Laurence Ronan, MD, and the MGH's Thomas S. Durant, MD, Fellowship in Refugee Medicine, named after the late MGH Associate General Director Thomas Durant, MD.

The most common illnesses that the physicians treated were infant diarrhea and respiratory infections, while nearly 30 percent of the patients had some degree of parasitic disease as a result of unpurified drinking water. Following a World Health Organization formulary, the group also brought with them enough vitamins and basic medicines to stock the clinic's pharmacy.

Prasad was impressed with the population's overall level of health and especially with the degree to which they were "excited and engaged in their own health care." The patients were receptive to the arrival of the American physicians — as was Hermana Flor, an elderly nun with basic medical training who for years has served as the sole provider of health care for the nearby communities, which lack direct access to the regional hospital. In addition to providing care, the group collected a significant amount of statistical data on the health of the population. Says Prasad, "We learned an incredible amount from the people of Veraguas. They helped us to understand the health issues facing their communities, and we were grateful for the opportunity to provide them with care." The group hopes to develop a longstanding relationship with the community over the next several years.

For more information about the Durant Fellowship, access www.durantfellowship.org.