WHO ARE WE?
We are a group of healthcare providers that travel to the city of Barahona and surrounding areas in the southwest corner of the Dominican Republic. Our team is comprised of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, pharmacists, physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, EMTs, nursing assistants and students. The surgical team operates at Jaime Mota, the local hospital in Barahona. The medical team travels to the surrounding bateys (sugar cane villages) on the outskirts of the city to setup mobile medical clinics. This annual trip was started in 2006 and has continued to expand in various ways.
WHAT WE DO...
The surgical team performs necessary surgeries that patients are not able to afford or receive locally in Barahona. The types of surgeries performed include: hysterectomies, thyroidectomies, cholecystectomies, tonsillectomies, adenoidectomies, hernia repairs, removal of lipomas, and gangrenous wound repair and treatment. On average, we perform 70 – 80 surgeries per week. We care for patients from the pre-operative phase, through the surgery, and then in the post-operative state as well. The patients are then admitted to the hospital where our team will follow them through their post-operative course.
There are many Bateys surrounding Barahona. These sugar cane villages are occupied by the sugar cane field workers who are a mix of Haitians and native Dominicans. The Hatians living in these villages along with native Dominicans have little to no access to regular medical care. We travel to a different batey each day and dispense medicines to treat their various aliments. Commonly treated conditions include both acute and chronic medical illnesses as well as infections for both pediatric and adult populations. Each patient receives any necessary medications as well as supplemental vitamins. Care is coordinated with various other medical groups who also travel to Barahona in order to provide more continuous care for these patients. Our goal is to be able to provide year round care for these patients.
