Amy returns from Honduras

Basic Medical Aid to Honduras

The after-dinner speaker this week for Kirkcudbright Rotary left a real impression on the Club  members and guests.   Amy Hall, recently a student at Kirkcudbright Academy, now studying Medical Science at Edinburgh University told of her personal experiences as a member of a Medical Brigade bringing basic medical and sanitation aid to deprived communities in Honduras.

The diet of the Hondurans in poor communities is very high in sugar leading to high blood pressure, decayed teeth and diabetes.  Amy illustrated her talk with slides showing the Medical Brigade at work, in the pharmacy, in the dentistry, the opticians, the gynaecology area and the triage.  The team took a machine that could measure the corrective prescription for eye conditions, which was matched with suitable spectacles that the team had taken out with them.

A particular challenge to Amy was her lack of Spanish, the local language, most locals could speak no English.  Amy plans to return again next year as a leader within the Medical Brigade, no doubt with an upgrade to her Spanish.