adapted from the Global Health Outreach newsletter by Heather Quinn, published in Jericho Road's Winter Newsletter 2013. Read the rest of it here: http://jrchc.org/About/Publications/Newsletters.aspx
Our partnership with Phebian in her vision to bring healthcare to Sierra Leone continues with the most recent trip from the Global Health Outreach team. JRCHC Staff Kirk Scirto, MD, Vicki Ip, MD, Heather Quinn, FNP-BC, and Olivia Gerhardt (Hope Refugee Drop-In Center Coordinator) traveled there this October to provide additional medical outreach and community assessments. Phebian and the team visited five target villages, four of which they conducted medical clinics in (treating a total of 327 patients!), and all five in which they performed community health education trainings.
The medical care often involved diagnosing and treating tropical and/or preventable diseases such as malaria, river blindness, scabies, ringworm and TB. Still, Phebian and the team were deeply affected by the death of one of their patients, especially as they felt his death would have been preventable in other circumstances. The community education workshops included three topics: basic CPR training, helping babies breathe for the first time, and usage of birth kits for traditional birth attendants in the community. Additionally, Olivia Gerhardt conducted public health research throughout the villages, assessing needs and exploring how to best address them under the larger scheme of holistic community health. Although at times it was a difficult and sobering experience for the team, they express gratitude and feel that their souls have been refreshed, their minds renewed, and their bodies energized to continue the work they are called to. Motivated to continue in her role as a medical missionary, Phebian shares, “Life here is hard but the love that God gives me for my people keeps me going.”
At Jericho Road, we are deeply grateful for your support in prayer and financials. Both of these enable us to extend Phebian’s vision of accessible healthcare for the underserved people of her country. We hope you will continue to partner with us in this endeavor as we progress in understanding the challenges, begin building a medical clinic, and remain hopeful for the future of Sierra Leone and its people.
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