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Christ the Healer - Guidelines |
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Guidelines for Missionaries |
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- Preparations are made well in
advance both in Nicaragua and in the United States to ensure
that volunteers are put into service quickly and the trip
runs as smoothly as possible. However, it is important that
volunteers be flexible, patient, and prepared for occasional
delays and disruptions.
 A Physician, dentist,
nurse, emt, or any other medical personnel is required to
provide the Health Ministry department of Managua, prior to
each trip, a copy of a medical diploma, curriculum
vitae, and current state license before practicing medicine
in Nicaragua. All documentation needs to be sent to the
Propagation of the Faith Office two months prior to trip
date.
- Every Christ the Healer missionary
will be paired with a Nicaraguan counterpart. This advance
preparation will allow time for the Nicaraguan counterpart
to arrange his or her schedule and case load as necessary.
This is extremely important for the purpose of surgery or
other special cases. Please remember that counterparts have
made adjustments to their schedules to accommodate
volunteers. It is important that these arrangements be
respected, even when it seems as though things are moving
slowly.
- All medications intended for use while in Nicaragua must be clearly labeled with name, dosage, and expiration date. No medication are allowed to be used that are within six months of expiring. A list of medicines that you intend to bring into a foreign country needs to be documented and mailed or faxed to the Propagation of the Faith Office. The required information will then be
forwarded to the Health Ministry Department of Nicaragua.
*See Medicine/Supply form.
- Wearing lab coats and name tags is
encouraged as these facilitate recognition and
communication. While an ability to speak Spanish is
certainly an asset, interpreters are available for those who
do not.
- The unavailability of the latest
sterilization equipment, cleaning techniques, and latest
generation antibiotics make the nursing personnel and
physicians very careful and vigilant about sterile technique
and hand-washing. Please pay close attention to your
technique of cleanliness with patient contact.
- Remember that Christ the Healer goes to Nicaragua to "observe, assist, and teach when invited." Christ the Healer does not go to "rescue" the people of Nicaragua. The overwhelming need and abject conditions can create a tendency toward heroic efforts and/or great discouragement.
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Guidelines for Physicians |
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Every Christ the Healer physician volunteer is teamed with a Nicaraguan counterpart. Nicaraguan physicians are generally eager to work with their US counterparts. Remember that Nicaraguan physicians are well trained and quite experienced in their field, often working long hours at the hospital, clinic and a private practice. Please be understanding should schedules change unexpectedly.
Caseloads in excess of 100 patients per day are the norms.
Physicians are advised to bring any and all medications they expect to prescribe. The vast majority of cases encountered deal with anemia, diabetes, fungal diseases, malnutrition, various forms of arthritis and other degenerative diseases, parasites, hypertension, anxiety, peptic ulcer disease, and infections of all kinds. It is recommended that physicians bring medications appropriate for the treatment of such conditions. Examples of the types of medications most commonly needed are:
NSAIDS: Tylenol, Ecotrin, Aspirin, etc.
ANTACIDS: Pepcid, Zantac, Tagamet, Prilosec, Maalox, etc.
ANTIBIOTICS and ANTIFUNGAL MEDS
VITAMIN and MINERAL Preparations, especially pediatric and pre-natal vitamins
ANTIHISTAMINES
ANTI-HYPERTENSIVES
ANTI-DIABETIC AGENTS
CREAMS and LOTIONS
*See list of banned medicines and medicines to bring
Stock sizes (or larger) of such medications are recommended, as these can easily be divided and distributed as needed.
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Special Notations for Surgeons |
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- Please bring your own gloves,
scrubs, caps, shoe covers, and sutures. Much of what is
brought will be recycled and reused. In addition, scrubs
make nice "parting gifts" for counterparts.
- Neither a blood bank nor extensive
laboratory services are available when preparing patients
for surgical procedures. Lab work for pre-ops usually
consists of Hct.
- Surgical counterparts will generally schedule patients appropriate to the specialty of their U.S. counterparts. These patients will be brought into the clinic for preoperative assessment. Determinations concerning scheduling of procedures will then be made in collaboration.
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An Important Disclaimer |
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It is beyond the scope and purpose of Christ the Healer to invite and/or sponsor the travel and treatment of Nicaraguan patients who desire or could benefit from treatment in the United States. If a participant in Christ the Healer wishes to sponsor an individual in such a manner, it is with the understanding that such an effort is a personal endeavor for which Christ the Healer can assume no responsibility. |
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