Well-child clinic

Yesterday, a group went to Pescadero, which was about an hour's drive by truck, to do another well-child clinic.  In total, we saw nearly 200 children and perhaps 30-40 adults.  We arrived around nine am and set up the clinic in a small church.  After opening the windows and rearranging the pews, we set out the supplies for registration, height/weight/nutritional status, hemoglobin, vitamins and anti-parasitics, vision charts, fluoride treatments, physical exam, acute concerns, and pharmacy.  And then it began: families of three, four, five, six children under the age of ten, without regular access to any health care.  These children were smaller and sicker than those we've seen in other villages, but they came and waited patiently for several hours to be seen by our team, to receive vitamins, antiparasitics, and a dental treatment.  I stuck nearly 200 little fingers to check their hemoglobin; there were several stoic little two- and three-year-olds who came and sat down next to me, stuck out a finger without being asked, and had looks of sheer determination that melted into grins when I said, "Que valor!  Eres muy fuerte!" 

Anne Lincoln, MS-3