LMC Doctors Spend Week in Honduras

Wednesday, 19 August 2015

Dr. Gillespie and Dr. Beach spent a week in Honduras on a mission trip recently. While there, they represented Lawrence County in a clinic serving a greatly under-served population.

We are proud to have them as part of our team! Read Dr. Gillespie’s description of this trip below.

“The 2015 Family Baptist mission trip occurred in the later part of July. Twenty-one people went on the mission trip associated with Family Baptist Church, including Dr. Beach and myself, nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and several other church members. We were joined in Honduras by a full-time Honduran physician and a Honduran intern. We were also joined by three Honduran dentists. On the mission trip, over 1,000 were treated, receiving medical care, eyeglasses, teeth cleaning, and teeth extraction. The team also provided food, which was distributed to the families of those seen in the clinic. Clothing was also distributed. Our pharmacy contained a full formulary with over 5,000 prescriptions dispensed.

This is the second year that I have participated in the mission trip to Honduras. Last year we saw over 800 patients, myself being the only physician with a Honduran intern working only two of the four days. This year we saw over 1,000 patients. The first day of the mission trip is prep day. During preparation day, all of the medication is divided up into prescription bags and labels are applied. All of the food is also divided for distribution. The next four days are clinic days in which we go out into the field. The first settlement we traveled to has a large orphan population due to high incidence of AIDS. The diseases include skin infections such as fungal skin infections and nail infections, osteoarthritis, along with the usual common diseases. The infectious disease is the usual plus mosquito transmitted illnesses, including Dengue fever, a new viral infection which causes a rash, severe headaches, and joint paints which can last for six months to over a year. All ages are care for, from pregnant women and babies, to the elderly. The evangelical portion of the mission trip resulted in over 25 people receiving Christ and some re-dedications of their lives as well. The work was hard, the temperature was hot and humid, and the reward eternal.”