Moose Jaw International Medical Mission prepares to go to Guatemala for 3rd year
For the third consecutive year, the Moose Jaw International Medical Mission team will be heading to Guatemala to provide well needed medical assistance and supplies to the country.
The team will be leaving on Friday, February 2nd and will spend a week in the country where they will provide primary care and surgical needs to Guatemalans. There will be a group of 25 persons consisting of Moose Jaw’s medical team, along with a few medical personnel from Regina. Two teams will be going this year: a team of primary care physicians and a surgical team.
The Medical Mission says it will cost about $30,000 to provide medical supplies and tools needed for the group to perform surgeries there. Dr. Mark Brown is leading the team of primary care physicians and says this money will go solely towards providing supplies as the team members are covering their own travel costs. “We need to raise $30,000 in total to do the work that we’re going to be doing in Guatemala. This is not to pay for the team to go there because everyone covers their own cost. This is actually to cover the medical work that we need to do for the surgeries and the clinics we are going to be running out there.” Dr. Brown says the team will be working for a week, Sunday to Friday. “We’ve got two teams going; a surgical team, made up of doctors and nurses who will be doing operations and there’s a second team made up of physicians who are family doctors. We’ll be doing clinics in various communities in Guatemala. This is to take care of whatever needs people may have and also to check for anything serious so we can decide whether people need to have further assistance or be referred for surgery. There’s a hospital there that we’re allowed to use which has a lot of the equipment that we’ll need. We’ll have to take all the medications and surgical supplies and everything we’ll need to do the operations,” he explained. He added that the team is looking forward to the trip that will assist citizens who are in dire need of proper medical assistance. “It is exciting and we are looking forward to the trip, being a group of local people going who are used to working with each other to do what we need to do. It is a privilege to be part of something that will provide this essential need to persons who may have not been able to afford it otherwise.” he said.
“This is the third year that the trip is going out but this is my first time. So far, the team is growing. Now we’ve added the family doctor team that wil be doing clinics. That’s something new this yea and we fully expect that this is going to continu to evolve and grow. Jackie Wilson, a nurse at th hospital, was instrumental in starting this and we’r all so excited about the ability to go and serve in thi way,” he said.
Dr. Brown expressed gratitude to the Moose Jaw community for its continued support. “We get a tre mendous amount of support from the community not only the medical community but the whole com munity. The Moose Jaw community really stand behind this team and we are grateful for the contin ued support; whether it’s supporting our fundraiser or making donations.”
There will be a fundraiser coming up that will also assist the team. Stadacona Soul will be hosting fundraiser on Saturday, January 20 at the Moose Jaw Museum and Art Gallery to raise money to assist in providing medical supplies to the Medical Mission team. Doors will open at 6:30pm with a concert a 7pm. There will be a cash bar, dessert buffet and si lent auction with music by Stadacona Soul. Ticket are $30. Come out and enjoy the evening for a grea cause!