2 June Report
 
IHS (International Health Services) had another great year of medical mission
work in Honduras!    In February we sent about 120 medical and support people
to 8 team locations.  Most were in very poor villages where there is NO health
care available.  During the 2 weeks of work, we saw over 10,000 patients !  We
also handed out about 1500 prescription and reading glasses plus many pharmacy
items to those in need.  The surgical sites did over 100 needed surgeries.
 Quite an accomplishment.
 
A large part of the huge succces we had in caring for the desperatley poor was
the huge prepararion work done last summer and fall to recruit the many workers
plus to gather all the needed supplies for each of the team sites. We are now
starting this important prep work again for next February’s medical trip. In
future e-mail reports, we will mention the need for many medical professions
plus quite a few support people (interpreters, engineers, radio operators and
many general helpers). Watch for those e-mail updates.
 
This year, we ran 6 medical clinics, 6 dental clinics, 3 surgical sites, and 2
eye glasses clinics. The medical clinic teams were in LaEsperanza, Marcovia,
Yocon, Lisangnipura, Uhi, and on the Kruta River. The dental clinics were in
Raya, Uhi, Lisagnipura, LaEsperanza, Marcovia, and on the Kruta River. The
surgical sites were in LaCeiba and Puerto lempira. The eye glasses teams were in
Marcovia and Puerto Lempira.
 
If you want more info, email me at JMKKEK@...
 
General Mission Info: For those of you who may not have gone or read any past
information on our medical trip, here are the basics. Each year, during the last
2 weeks of February, IHS will send 10 or more medical, dental, surgical, & eye
glasses teams to Honduras. We will also send ahead 1 or 2 container shipments to
get all the needed medical supplies, team food, and pharmacy supplies there.
Each year, our hope is to have about 7 or 8 medical clinic teams to include a
dentist on each team. We also hope to have 2 or 3 surgery teams and 2 or 3 eye
glasses teams. We try to send several support people (interpreters, engineers,
radio operators, and general helpers) on each team to help us provide quality
care to all we see. Each year we see about 600 to 800 people (average) at EACH
of the 8 or so clinic sites. So, we do touch many lives and most are people who
have NO medical or dental care available to them except our once a year visit.
NOTE that our
biggest need right now (besides medical folks) is Spanish interpreters.
 
You can see a glimpse of what we do at: www.IHSofMN.org (check out the 2008
NewsBreak newsletter!) We are based in the Minneapolis metro area but
participants are from all over the US and many other countries. There are IHS
Board members and others who you can talk with to learn more.
 
Give me a call or send me an e-mail if you are interested or want more detailed
info.
 
The needy of Honduras and I thank you.
 
John Kirckof
Glenwood, MN 56334
IHS Board Of Directors
320-634-4386
JMKKEK@...




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