The Jornada’s Back in Town!

Isn’t this a great picture? The two students, Wendy and Sara, at right, with the yet unnamed translator

So once again the little pueblo of San Juan Olintepeque, in the Department of Quetzaltenango in Guatemala, played host to a clinical rotation for students from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

I was not able to be present at this clinic, which I only learned about in August.  But thankfully, I already had a scheduled trip to Guatemala in September, and was able to scoot around and talk to a lot of people to find clinic sites and personnel to make 3 weeks of supervised voluntary clinical service in a total of four different sites possible.

As usual, I worked with my good friends, Hugo and Elbia, in Quetzaltenango to do the first  week.  And as always, I was able to count on my good friends and long-time associates at the Chichicastenango-based Asociación Centromaya para la Educación, el Bienestar, y la Asistencia Rural (we just used the acronym ACEBAR – pronounced Ah-say-bár, because the full title is obviously too much of a mouthful) was able to set up the arrangements with a private charitable clinic in the little cantón (think village or hamlet) of Patzibal for the second week of the rotation (21 thru 25 November – Feliz Día de Pavo).  For the third week, there will be one clinic for family/pediatric medicine at the office of ACEBAR in the pueblo of Chichicastenango, while Dr. Patricia Crane will carry on what has become a nine year collaboration with the National Ministry of Public Health’s Centro de Salud doing women’s medicine.

The two students participating in this trip are Wendy and Sara.  Dr. Crane is the ramrod of the expedition, but we are happy to have the assistance of a new preceptor this clinic in the person of Kim Banks, a Nurse Practitioner from … I believe … Erie, Pennsylvania, who will join the group for the last week to supervise the clinic at the ACEBAR office.

All reports I’ve gotten from the first week in Olintepeque indicate that it has been an excellent experience.   The group spent a couple day of R&R at a hotel in Panajachel to bask in the beauty of the most beautiful lake in the world – Lago de Atitlán – and as I write, at this moment are in the good hands of our regular transportista, Reyneri, en route to Chichicastenango, where they will have enough time to enjoy the big Sunday market.

This is the third “jornada,” as the clinics are called in Guatemala, and the charitable aspect of providing medical care and basic medicines to the poor Guatemalan people who live in these towns is reason enough to do it.  As always, however, no matter what kind of group we at Consultants for Community Develop work with, the real goal is a mutual educational experience in which all involved parties come away richer  and better off.

As always, a big hug and hearty thanks to Dr. Patricia Crane, her partner Michael Egerman, to the administration and students of UTMB, to our collaborators in Guatemala who strive to make these experiences as good as they always are, and to donors who provide funding for the required supplies, equipment, and medicines.

Exam Room in the Municipal Palace in Olintepeque, Quetzaltenango

The Portable Exam Room in the Municipal Palace in Olintepeque, Quetzaltenango

Guatemalan facilitators Hugo and Elbia. I first met Hugo in June of 1990, and have worked closely with him for most of the time since.

Facilitator Hugo with the Translator Tell me her name, somebody, and I’ll edit this caption

Sign advertising the clinic hanging on the Municipal Palace balcony.  Olintepeque is a small pueblo about 10 minutes from the larger city of Quetzaltenango.  The rural Maya residents suffer from horrid poverty, and the diseases that accompany it, including high rates of chronic malnutrition.

K’ot nee pa wi’, or something like that. Meaning there’s a baby on her back. Digame la ortografía correcta, amigos guatemaltecos, y puedo corregirlo.

A middle-aged Mayan Woman registers for a consultation

A little grainy, but too cute to not include.

Mike Egerman with Elbia and a group of comadronas (midwives).  I’m not sure about the statistics in these little towns close to Quetzaltenango, but in Chichicastenango where I have worked and done research for the last 16 years, about 95% of babies are born at home.

Mike, Patricia Crane (the preceptor for the UTMB students), Elbia, Hugo, and Olintepeque town and Medican center officials

Patricia receiving the inevitable Gracias from the National Medican Center officials.  The cermoniousness of these “gracias” puts many North Americans off, but it’s an essential part of the culture … and can be a lovely experience if tour/clinical participants just settle in and know that underneath the officiousness and obvious politics, these folks really are sincere in saying “Thanks.”

Registration – the older woman pushing her thumb against the ink pad to make her signature thumbprint

PA Student Sara examines an adolescent boy

Sara with the translator whose name I can’t remember and a couple of young moms with toddlers

The Municipal Building in nearby La Union.. This will be the site of a future clinic

The front of the Olintepeque Municipal Palace with the Clinic sign announcing the free clinic

Wendy with what I think is probably a mother and daughter. Beautiful ladies all.

I love this photo too. Wendy with some old lady

Wendy talking to a young mother and maybe her little brother?

Students doing zumba on break with the local folks

Two little boys. I was not there, but if I saw these kids on the street I’d probably think chronic malnutrition, which is exceedingly common in rural Guatemala

A little blurry, but still a good shot, and essential to include because Dr. Patricia, at left, is camera shy so we never get many pictures of her

Advertising poster for the clinic