Medical mission treats 1,400 near Torreon, Mexico
Catholic Spirit, May 2009, In Our Parish
By Catholic Spirit Staff
The latest diocesan medical mission trip to Mexico nearly got cancelled.
“We had less than a dozen volunteers signed up with a week to go and the drug cartel wars near the Mexican border were all over the news,” said Tino Hernandez, the leader of the Austin Diocese Medical Mission. A normal team numbers about 30 dentists, nurses, pharmacists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, interpreters and medical support staff.
Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) was eager to get the mission to families in the areas surrounding San Pedro de las Colonias near Torreon, so they stepped in to help get the medications through customs as well as to provide logistics support and promotion of the mission.
Families of the team members expressed concern about the drug wars and the mission’s safety. Larry Nicholson, volunteer and a Vice District Governor for the Lions Club, was confident in the medical mission’s safety.
“Tino (Hernandez) always takes the utmost care to ensure the safety of his volunteers. I knew I had nothing to worry about,” he said. The only signs of disturbance the team saw on their journey was a convoy or two of Mexican soldiers heading toward the border. The mission team stayed without incident at a very secure base hotel in San Pedro de las Colonias.
“Honestly, the biggest hassle is always crossing the border, making sure all of our paperwork is in order,” Hernandez said.
Ironically, the one obstacle they did not face this time was bringing in medications and medical equipment. He said “in the past, we had great difficulty taking the supplies across the border. Now, thanks to the support of local doctors and other contacts, we can bring the supplies in prior to the mission so we can hit the ground running.”
The team treated nearly 1,400 patients this time. A typical mission day involves setting up registration, triage, make-shift offices for patient visits, dentist offices, a pharmacy and areas for the patients to wait. Patients often come as early as 6 a.m. and some walked many miles to seek treatment.
Illnesses vary from simple coughs and colds to more serious conditions such as parasites, infections, out of control diabetes and high blood pressure. In one of the towns, two related families had boys with hemophilia, a condition where the blood does not clot easily meaning even simple cuts and bruises can be life threatening.
Dr. Nathalie Fiset, who flew in from Canada to join the team, has been on nine medical missions with the team from Austin.
“I was truly inspired on the day we offered our services to people who had gone through a flood the year before. They had to rebuild 80 houses. What impressed me most is the pride and courage they displayed, never complaining or feeling like victims. The other strong feeling that emerged from serving these people was the true support and respect they showed one another. The feeling of being in a strong community was powerful,” she said.
Liz Burton-Garcia coordinates the medication inventory. She said the medical mission team, which travels to Mexico or other Central American countries two to four times a year, is always in need of donations.
“We happily accept medicines but monetary donations are preferred because that allows us to buy the exact medicines we need in bulk and at a discount,” she said.
Thanks to generous donations last fall, for the first time the team had enough vitamins for every person who came to the mission, Burton-Garcia said.
The medical mission team will host their annual dinner and fundraiser on Sept. 12 at St. William Parish in Round Rock. The evening will include musical entertainment and highlights from previous missions.
Volunteers on the team use their own vacation time and pay their own way, providing all their services at no charge.
Azucena Overman, a volunteer on the medical mission team, was recently laid off and did not think she would be able to go on the most recent mission. However, a generous donation allowed her to travel with the team.
“I was able to work in the pharmacy filling prescriptions and translating. With the small size of the team, I was definitely needed,” she said.
The team is always looking for medical professionals including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, chiropractors, acupuncturists and nurses. Translators help the medical professionals with patient visits and dispensing medication in the pharmacy. Volunteers without a medical background are also welcome, often working in registration, assisting dentists, working in the pharmacy or handling crowd control.
Future opportunities to volunteer include a weekend mission to Piedras Negras, Mexico, June 27–28 and a week long mission to Arteaga, Mexico, Oct. 3–9. Bishop Gregory Aymond has advised all diocesan groups to use great caution when traveling to Mexico because of the increased violence in that country.
For more information on the Austin medical mission team, visit www.austincatholicmedicalmission.org or call Tino Hernandez at (512) 259-5746.