Being part of a mission trip organized by Dr. Steve Guy with the help of Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, I have been fortunate enough to experience the real Jamaica. Our group is often comprised of medical students, Dr. Guy and people from all walks of life. Together, it has been rewarding to deliver basic education and medical/dental services to Jamaican children and adults who otherwise would not receive this care. On a typical visit, we are able to congeal a workable medical/dental team to visit four different clinics in a matter of four days via the expert care of our Jamaican bus driver, Trevor. He is hired by the mission, American Caribbean Experience (A.C.E.), to make sure that we are always safe and make it to our clinic each day along some treacherous roads and bridges.
Upon arrival at each clinic, we always see Jamaicans standing in never-ending lines, some who have traveled by foot for miles, often arriving at 5 a.m. to seek medical/dental treatment. Soon after arriving at our destination, the medical team heads indoors to a crude building to set up individual rooms for medical treatment, such as pap smears and general medical care. To remain as cool as possible, the dental team always heads for the nearest shade.
The dental treatment area could be a tree with a tarp overhead or maybe a small porch on the side of the clinic. We can provide minimal dental treatment, performing only extractions and some cleanings due to the lack of running water and inadequate equipment. Since our team has been on several of these trips to provide these services, I have purchased a portable dental chair and cleaning/drill unit that travels with me. With two folding tables and plenty of old folding chairs and help from some of the medical staff, we (my wife and dental assistants) are able to ease pain and give a clean, shiny smile to many Jamaicans.
Many Jamaicans spend the entire day at the clinic socializing with family, friends and neighbors before and after their treatment. The team turns away many of the patients due to time restrictions. It makes it even more difficult to close the clinic at the end of the day to very polite and respectful Jamaicans, who have been waiting their turn. They will have no opportunity to obtain relief from dental pain for another three months, when the next medical/dental team returns.
The following words by a member of our group are a reflection of how we all feel. “The clinics, the lines, the eyes of those less fortunate, the humbleness of most, the smiles, the souls, and their gratefulness: As long as I live, I will never forget what I saw. I pray that those that we were able to serve realize that we love them with a pure heart fervently. I pray that those we were not able to serve will realize we have no less love for them.” |
