Medical Mission - June 2010
June 23 - July 2
La Merced achieved every one of its goals:
1. Correct major congenital deformities in the Mascota Hospital
2. Perform minor procedures in the Roberto Clemente Clinic
3. Establish a dental clinic
4. Deliver funds, supplies and equipment to the Hospital and the Clinic
Mascota Hospital for Children
Again, with assistance from Dr. Geraldo Mejia (director of Mascota Hospital), the Nicaraguan Government provided La Merced an operating room for three full days.
La Merced surgeons, Vincent Perrotta, Christopher Pellegrino, Dorianela Arguello and Armondo Siu performed 23 life-changing surgeries. The conditions treated included cleft lip, cleft palate, syndactyly, meningomyelocele, fistula's of the nose, omphalocele, large hemangiomas and other congenital deformities.
Lab studies for these surgeries were funded by the Rotary of Salisbury, the Lion's Club of Salisbury, Bethany Methodist Church in Berlin and residents of the entire Delmarva Peninsula.
La Merced delivered surgical supplies donated by Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Delaware Valley Surgical Supply, PSS World Medical, Nixon Linens, Community Pharmacy, Peninsula Regional Medical Center and the Center for Aesthetic Surgery.
Roberto Clemente Clinic and Community Outreach
Under the guidance of Dr. Richard McCann, the La Merced team established a dental clinic and treated 146 patients in need of dental work. The dental chair, equipment and supplies, purchased with La Merced funds, will serve the barrio throughout the entire year and beyond. Septodont donated the dental supplies.
In the plastic surgery clinic (established last year by La Merced) Drs. Perrotta and Pellegrino performed small procedures on 128 patients in need of plastic surgery.
La Merced delivered a culposcope and medical supplies all donated by Dr. Bruce and Diane Winnacott A culcoscope is vital for the early diagnosis of pre-cancerous changes of the cervix in women.
Dennis Haley, Mark McIver and Joseph Serpe revised the HVAC system to supply more air-conditioning to the dental clinic. They also erected a wall with doorway.
Through La Merced's new sponsorship program for the soup kitchen, Delmava residents currently provide daily lunch for six children for an entire year.
La Merced delivered suitcases full of supplies for the Marilac School
Through La Merced, Delmarva residents now sponsor twelve students--covering tuition, books and uniforms for a year.
Through La Merced's patient sponsorship program, Delmava residents provided the funding for diagnostic studies and post-operative medications for nineteen patients who underwent surgery at Mascota Hospital and seven patients in the Roberto Clemente Clinic.
Many of these patients and their families travel very far to receive treatment. Families must live in the hallways and on the hospital campus because they have no where to go. With donations from our generous contributors La Merced assists these families with some food and water while they wait for the children's surgery.
Our student volunteers love helping these families and patients as well. During our visit they offer small gifts of crayons, toys and stickers. They also enjoy wearing funny hats and glasses to cheer up not only our patients but many throughout the hospital.