Health Care for 10,000 Nicaraguan Campesinos

Delivering healthcare services using our mobile clinic — our trusted 4-wheel drive truck — can require innovation. In this case, as we were driving to the village where we planned to work, we came across a large truck hauling logs that had run off the road, blocking all traffic. As it attempted to make the tight turn, the cab slipped down the hillside, stranding the flatbed. This situation could take all day to resolve! A resourceful motorcyclist wove his way around the truck and offered to deliver our message to the village about two miles away: we were setting up the mobile clinic along the side of the road. We unloaded tables and equipment. Within an hour, patients had walked from the village and were lined up, waiting patiently to be seen by our doctor, nurse, and dentist. Our doctor perched on the tailgate of the truck. The dentist examined her patients standing up. Our nurse dispensed medicine from a table on the verge of the dirt road. One by one, we located our patient’s files. As he treated patients, the doctor made his notes in the files. As required, the nurse filled the doctor’s prescriptions. The dentist could not do any extractions, but did as much as she could. It was the best we could do under the circumstances. We were happy to have been able to show up according to schedule and see our patients, despite the log truck blocking our way.