Dr. Flais joins the PHA legacy of medical missions

Line forming for clinic at 8 amIn the midst of a bustling remote mobile medical clinic on the western edge of Panama, Sam, our Floating Doctors clinic manager, approached me with his characteristic wide smile and easy manner. “We have a big family for you to see, with lots of kids!” he informed me in his soothing Kenyan accent. A queue of patients lined up outside well before our 8 am start time, and the clinic was now buzzing with midday activity in the warm, tropical air. The sounds of Spanish and a variety of Engl ish accents peppered the room. Outside the clinic, an open field served as home to a near-continuous game of fútbol, children shouting boasts and jeers to one another, a scene that could take place anywhere on the globe. A week serving the Ensenada community in the Bocas Del Toro province of Panama rejuvenated not only my love for medicine, but also my faith in humanity.Within our makeshift clinic, a transformed open-air schoolroom, patients are cared for with a family-centered approach. The particular family Sam told me about had 6 members: a grandmother and 5 kids ages 2, 6, 8, 9, and 16 years. While my expertise is in pediatrics, our medical team cared for whole families including adults, so I welcomed the idea of a crowd of kids, since it ’s my comfort zone. As I laid my stethoscope on the chest of the toddler to listen to his heart, I activated the flashing disco lights I’ve kept connected to my stethoscope for years to help distract and entertain m...
Source: Pediatric Health Associates - Category: Pediatrics Tags: Volunteer Opportunities Source Type: news