Consultorio Medico Pastoral

CMP – this is where I work in Wichanzao every morning from 8 to about 12:30. You get off the colectivo at Corli (which has been paved within the past year), take a left, a right, another left, and then you’re there. It’s across from the Wichanzao Presbyterian Church and next to Sinergia, Peru Mission’s microfinance program. The clinic used to be in the church, and they built this building about 3 years ago.

The clinic is open from 8 to 5 Monday through Thursday, and until 2 on Fridays and 12 on Saturdays. It’s a primary care clinic where people from Wichanzao (or any of the surrounding areas: Trujillo, Arevalo, Clementina, Los Pinos, Las Palmeras…) can come for quality care and medications at an affordable price. Most patients can see a doctor for about 7 soles ($2.50), and the medications, from what I’ve heard, are much cheaper than at most other clinics. I think the price of everything is pretty comparable to the government postas, but the care is much better and you don’t have to get there as early or wait as long.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most is working with the staff. Dr. Julton sees patients every day. He’s a young doctor who just began working in the clinic in March. While I think he’s still learning a lot, he is gaining people’s trust and loyalty, and his humble, reassuring manner with patients is inspiring and reflective of his faith. There are also other doctors who come in during the mornings: Dr. Alfonso on Mondays, Dr. Mario Tuesday through Thursday, and Dr. Raúl on Fridays. They work part time to supplement their other jobs and are a little more popular since they’ve been around longer, but I think Dr. Julton is becoming more known and trusted by patients.

We also have Dr. Angel, the dentist. Daniel, the other intern working at the clinic, is helping him, and the two of them together are a mess. Lots of personality and dry humor flying around, and Dr. Angel is fluent in rudimentary Spanglish. That to say he tries to throw out English words and sentences all the time, with varying degrees of success. It’s certainly entertaining, though, and when he found out my last night was Rice (arroz in Spanish), he immediately started calling me “Lydia Rice…rice with chicken!” harkening to the typical Peruvian dish arroz con pollo.

Sonia is the obstetrician, but she only sees patients three days a week as she is also the clinic manager. So she does double duty and coordinates a lot with Dale Ellison, the missionary who is administrator over the clinic (and completes the current gringo trio at CMP). Sonia’s really good, though, and I’ve enjoyed getting to talk with her a little and see how well she does her job. I hope I get to know her better as the year goes on.

Nila is a nurse who is usually in charge of the pharmacy and most days comes and grabs me to come get a cup of coffee and a little snack of conchitas or empanada. She’s kind of like a favorite grandmother-figure. Jenny signs people in and takes out their medical histories, Kelvin is the lab tech, and Marina is a sweet, quiet lady who keeps everything looking clean and great. Noemí and Cynthia are the nurses (I work a lot with them, at least so far), and we triage patients, give shots, administer nebulizations, cut gauze, sterilize instruments, etc. Of course, they have some more qualified responsibilities as well that I can often watch or help with, and they’re very generous and patient to explain things to me.

There are a wide variety of patients who come through, and I enjoy getting to see most of them in triage, even if but for a moment. Some people are well off and don’t have problems paying, but the hard part is when you know they do. The clinic has a fund that helps cover treatment and medicines for people who can’t afford it, but even so I’m sure there are people who struggle to meet the costs. And I’m sure there are people who don’t come at all for fear that they can’t afford it. Honestly (and unfortunately), even if they did all come, we probably couldn’t fully cover the costs of everyone who couldn’t pay. Because, even though Peru Mission makes up for what the clinic loses each month, it seems like there’s always an end to the funds. As much as I would love to believe otherwise, frustratingly everything still comes down to dollars and cents…or soles y céntimos. I guess there’s a balance between looking at how to improve what needs fixing and being encouraged and joyful at each victory. Because, in truth, there are plenty of both.