Dream to FLY

armando barros Start Date: Jun 6, 2017 - End Date: Aug 4, 2017
  • Singapore
  • Philippines

My Travel Story

by: armando barros Start Date: Jun 6, 2017 - End Date: Aug 4, 2017
I had previously gone for medical mission trips to Cambodia, and saw first hand the struggles that besiege the rural people. Our clinic ran non-stop for 6 days, treating young and old alike. Adults were additionally given mosquito nets and every child received a “size-variable” shoe. While their medical problems are not complex, the isolated nature of their communities prevent the treatment of simple issues. Wounds that would be treated in an instant in a developed country are left untouched, infections that can be resolved with a simple course of antibiotics are allowed to fester. Obstetric care was practically non-existent. This trip therefore has 2 goals:

i) Acute health services: A free clinic would be set-up to diagnose and treat common conditions. The clinic includes a scaled-down laboratory, enabling blood and urine investigations to allow rapid testing for HIV/STDs, pregnancy-related complications, anaemia, malaria/other tropical diseases, etc. Furthermore, a wounds care station is set up to allow simple surgical procedures for the treatment of abscesses, lacerations, cysts, fractures, etc. A makeshift pharmacy for dispensing medications and an in-clinic ICU for acute resuscitation completes the clinic.

ii) Health education: This is critical for the people of these islands as many conditions can be prevented by simple lifestyle modifications - mosquito nets for malaria and dengue, safe-sex practices for HIV, hand hygiene for gastroenteritis, etc. Each clinic therefore runs classes focusing on disease prevention, women’s health, and nutrition throughout the day.
  • Singapore
  • Philippines