The Floating Doctors: Mobile medicine comes to Panama’s jungles

A genuine blessing, indeed.

Due to the lack of showers in the village, the tired volunteers head down a muddy hill to soak in the cold waters of a nearby river at the end of the second day of the clinic. They wrap their hammocks up for the last night, have a hearty meal, and wrap them in a towel.

Over the past two days, beneath the tropical heat and rain, they saw 133 patients and provided assistance and treatment for a number of maladies, from lesions and diarrhoea to fevers, cysts and pregnancy concerns.

“As a doctor, you’re always facing an uncertain and challenging environment where you’re questioning yourself”, says Dr Geoff McCullen, an orthopaedic surgeon and professor at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. “This week, I think our students learned they can face uncertainty, they can face challenges, manage these complexities simultaneously and be decisive about what a patient needs”.

Iryna Hrynyk, a Floating Doctors volunteer from the United States, and Federico Criado Rota, a volunteer from Argentina, attend to a patient with hand pain in La Sabana, Panama]Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]

After nightfall, wearing headlamps, the group discusses the medical cases they witnessed and reflects on an experience that pushed them out of their comfort zones, both as people and budding professionals.

“I’ve had so many firsts this week”, said Cristina Kontogiannis, a second-year medical student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. “I’ve never listened to a baby’s lungs and I got to do that here, for example. It’s been such a learning experience and I’m so thankful for this opportunity”.

Both Serrano and La Sabana’s residents are appreciative. He claimed that the Floating Doctors’ visits are frequently praised and voiced support for them at their regular meetings because La Sabana is a tight-knit community.

“We have a lot of need here. We have a lot of patients who have chronic illnesses, including children who have broken bones from machetes, snake bites, and other accidents, Serrano said. “We’re content and satisfied with the Floating Doctors, and they’ve taught how to be better equipped to deal with accidents and emergency issues, and that wasn’t always the case”.

Floating Doctors [Adam Williams/Al Jazeera] — Victoria Corvera Pose (centre), a Floating Doctors team member from Argentina, and Iris Ertugrul conduct a vision exam in the village of La Sabana]Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]

The Floating Doctors begin the journey back to headquarters by loading the duffel bags with medical supplies on the last morning. The group who enjoy laughing and singing during the sunny morning trek is easier to descend through the humid, boggy rainforest.

The bus awaits the group at Pueblo Nuevo, makes a stop for lunch, and drops the group off at the port, where they load boats, strap on their lifejackets and zip back across the Caribbean. The excited and exhausted team switches into swimming gear after arriving. They take a final group photo and then, together, jump into the warm and clear waters surrounding the island.

Another group of Floating Doctors volunteers will travel to La Sabana in three months to provide care to residents there in need. A few others will travel to Omayra from Wari and spend an additional hour walking in the rainforest.

“Because of Omayra’s condition and inability to walk, I can’t work or leave her side, and we don’t have the money to pay to transport her to the hospital”, said Julian Abrego, Omayra’s father. The fact that the Floating Doctors visit our home every day to take care of Omayra is a true blessing for us.