We have arrived in Guayaquil and the patients were waiting!
This afternoon, team members gathered at the Oro Verde hotel to get ready to begin our mission. Physicians, nurses, pharmacists, technicians and medical, PA and optometry students sat down and were greeted by our Blanca’s House leader, Galo Burbano, and given a brief overview of what would be happening throughout the week. The reality of our situation set in when, after 45 minutes of coffee, snacks and introductions, we were shuffled off to our respective clinics.
In the ophthalmology clinic at the local hospital, what was originally meant to be a day of setting up quickly became a bustling scene, as people were brought in to be screened so that we would have patients to operate on first thing tomorrow morning. Pressures were checked, eyes were dilated and patients were moved through the different stations, getting measurements for their cataract surgeries and physicals for medical clearance. By 9PM, when things wound down at the hospital, we had prepared and scheduled nearly twenty patients for surgery tomorrow, with many more to go. Though there are still logistics to work out and aspects of our patient flow to improve, I am impressed with what we were able to accomplish in just a short time today and excited for the rest of the week.
It is late and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, but more updates to come!
