Post by tomcamp on Jan 16, 2010 16:06:39 GMT -5
Treatment of Chronic Medical problems for short team missions. What to do???
Recently this question has come up with one of the AHMEN teams and got me to thinking.
What do you do in this situation?
10 years ago when went into a village that had not had a medical team for a number of years, and would not have one for the foreseeable future, the teams I went on treated emergency problems, and what has been called “band aid medicine”. Has that changed?
I was under the wrong impression and thought these villages had no medical care. Often, they simply did not have what I thought of as “western medical care”. Once I opened my eyes, I became aware that there were medical practitioners in every area I visited. What I failed to do was develop a relationship with these persons.
Now, on the teams I go on we attempt to work with the local medical persons. This allows us to practice much better medicine and address chronic problems as well as learn the needs of the community.
It is true that the medical practitiners may not be what I am used to, but this simply allows me to grow and know the culture better.
How about you and your team? I would like to hear how you have approached this problem and let’s see what others are doing.
Dr. Tom Camp
AHMEN Team Doctor and occasional Team Leader
Jan. ‘10
Recently this question has come up with one of the AHMEN teams and got me to thinking.
What do you do in this situation?
10 years ago when went into a village that had not had a medical team for a number of years, and would not have one for the foreseeable future, the teams I went on treated emergency problems, and what has been called “band aid medicine”. Has that changed?
I was under the wrong impression and thought these villages had no medical care. Often, they simply did not have what I thought of as “western medical care”. Once I opened my eyes, I became aware that there were medical practitioners in every area I visited. What I failed to do was develop a relationship with these persons.
Now, on the teams I go on we attempt to work with the local medical persons. This allows us to practice much better medicine and address chronic problems as well as learn the needs of the community.
It is true that the medical practitiners may not be what I am used to, but this simply allows me to grow and know the culture better.
How about you and your team? I would like to hear how you have approached this problem and let’s see what others are doing.
Dr. Tom Camp
AHMEN Team Doctor and occasional Team Leader
Jan. ‘10