Today we went to the Health Center Cusco .
The Center has the capacity to hold 3 adult patients, 3 pregnant patients in
labor, and 5 children. In addition, the Health Center has a “pick-up truck ambulance”
that serves a large portion of Sacred Valley. We set up our clinic in a large
room, combining pediatrics and medicine.
Over the course of the day, we saw 125 patients most of whom
were adults. While many elderly patients only spoke Quecha, it was great to see
how many younger patients waiting in line volunteered to translate for us. One
feature that was special about this clinic day is that we were able to use the
ultrasound machine we had donated in the past to evaluate a patient with heart
disease.
It was towards the end of the day that I saw a taxi driver
in his late 50’s. He initially presented only to have his vision checked out.
It turned out that his vision was fine but he had other common problems such as
frequent headaches. On review of systems, he admitted to chest pain accompanied
by palpitation, sweating, and shortness of breath that was precipitated by
stress at home after work. He denied nausea/vomiting unless he drank too much,
which also occurred frequently. At the end of the visit, we gave him baby
aspirin to take every day and referred him to a cardiologist to ensure he does
not have angina. While I am glad he will be seen by cardiology, I am just as
touched by him opening up to American doctors about his anxiety at home. My
Spanish is far from perfect but I felt that we were able to show him that we
cared and counseled him on cutting down on his alcohol consumption. On an
average clinic day here in Peru, the direct impact on each patient’s health may
seem small, but the trust in health care and the relationships we are building
is much more powerful than 20 pills of aspirin.
Ilka Decker
MS4
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