Health/Medical

HOI's goal is to create a system of health care that can serve as a model for all of rural Honduras. The Ministry of Health has assigned Honduras Outreach 38 villages representing over 35,000 people. HOI operates four medical clinics with Honduran medical staff. Three of these HOI clinics are in outlying areas staffed by nurses. HOI operates a large clinic on the Ranch staffed by a physician, a nurse practitioner, nurses, a pharmacist, a physical therapist, and two health promoters. These clinics provide vaccinations, dental work, public health information, and many other basic health needs for thousands of Hondurans. Since we began our public health efforts, the vaccination rate in our area has risen to 100%; the number of malnourished children has decreased significantly; and the sanitation in the villages has improved. Infant mortality in the area we work in has decreased from the high teens to zero in the last two years. The main focus of North American involvement in the health and medical program is support of Honduran health professionals. That group has now expanded to include dentists and dental hygienists, hearing specialists, rehabilitation therapists, nutritionists, and even rabies control workers to inoculate village dogs and cats. We also need and encourage North American specialists who can help in two crucial ways; by seeing patients with disorders that are difficult to address in Honduras and by helping to train local medical personnel. Through the efforts of our Medical Committee in Atlanta, we have scheduled regular visits by specialized medical teams every year. Each year an average of 10,000 patients are seen in the main clinic at the ranch and the three outlying clinics. 100% of the children were brought current in their vaccinations and HOI has assisted the government clinics whenever possible.

HOI Clinic provides the only dental service in the entire Agalta Valley. The rehabilitation service provided by HOI's Physical Therapist is the only service within hundreds of miles and is supported by visiting therapists from one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States.

Ways Mission Teams Can Help

School Health Assessments - With certified medical team members* and other volunteers, your team can help HOI's medical program by completing school health assessments in your village. Health assessments are done during the school day so the teacher can help with "crowd control." The teacher will write the student names on the forms and you will work with the children in groups of three or four. Once the children realize they will not be hurt during the assessment, each child feels important and special because of the personal attention he / she has just received. Doing health assessments is a golden opportunity to be the presence of Christ for a child as you share a smile, a wink and a hug!

Morning Hygiene Program - One of the greatest lessons we can pass on to our Honduras friends is improved hygiene and its resultant improved health. Our staff does a lot of training in the communities on this subject. Teaching daily hygiene routines to children is not a family custom in our area of influence. To that end, we have developed and implemented a Morning Hygiene Program in the village schools. This is a simple, fun program that can have long lasting effects. Many of our schools have already participated, but many have not. Even if a community has participated, it is good to review the program yearly and what better time to do that than when the mission team is in their to work!

Bring Medications - The following is a list of medications and supplies requested by Dr. German Jimenez as the most often used in the clinics administered by HOI physicians and nurses. It would greatly impact our program if groups who are willing and able to send medications would concentrate resources and focus on sending these medications which will ensure our clinics have continuing supply.

Analgesics, antipyretics (pediatric and adult doses)
Acetominiphen: suspension and tablets
Ibuprofen: suspension and tablets
Indomethacin
Aspirin

Antibiotics
Ampicillin: suspension and tablets (capsules)
Tetracycline: suspension and tablets
Erythromycin: suspension and tablets
Various sulfa preparations, e.g., Gantrisin, Bactrim, Septra
Anti-fungal creme


Antacids
Mylanta
Tums
Prevacid
Protonix
Prilosec


Antihypertensive
Aldomet
Hydrochlorothiazide
Propranolol
Altace or generic forms of similar drugs

Anti-seizure drugs
Phenobarbital
Dilantin

Vitamins / Iron Preparations
Prenatal vitamins with iron
Folic Acid
Pediatric vitamin suspensions
Any form of multivitamins and / or iron preparations

Others: Chlorpheniramine (Chlortrimeton), aloe vera, Allegra,Albuterol,Loperamide (Imodium), Robitussin

*Please remember that in order to practice medicine in Honduras on Honduran citizens, U.S. licensed medical personnel must submit a photocopy of his / her diploma and current license to the Atlanta office no less than eight (8) weeks prior to US departure. The HOI staff registers each medical person with the Honduran Ministry of Health as a visiting health care professional. This is a regulation under the Honduran government and we are required to enforce it among all of our mission team members.