Difficult Choices!

Recently, I had the incredible and humbling experience of organizing and running a mobile medical clinic with our staff from Samaritans Purse Cambodia along with a medical volunteer team from Samaritan's Purse Canada. Our two day medical clinic took place at the Maternal Health Center in a small village in the province Preah Vihear. It was a blessing to hold the clinic in this particular province because this is the village where Samaritan's Purse is opening a new base this year. The clinic provided a great opportunity to work with the village leaders and health center staff as well as minister to the physical needs of the people. In addition, we were able to donate a large number of vitamins and medications to the Health Center. Furthermore, we were excited to be able to give two baby cribs to the maternity ward.  This was a special time for us as a team to be able to assemble and donate the cribs because currently the center had no cribs to place newborns in. 

Team Assembling Baby Crib

The logistics of organizing a mobile medical clinic are challenging and God always humbles me in different ways with each clinic I run. My nursing speciality is both emergency as well as cardiac. By far the most difficult job whether it is in the US or in a mobile clinic setting in a developing country is the triage process. This is the process of deciding who gets to see the doctor first.

First time for the maternity ward to have baby cribs

In the US, I know every patient I triage in the emergency room will have the opportunity to be examined by a doctor. However, this is not always the same in developing countries. The night before every mobile clinic, I pray and ask God to give me wisdom for the triage process for the next day. In Cambodia, not everyone has equal access to healthcare, so we always have more people come than we can possibly ever see.  As I pray, I realize that I will have to make the tough decision of deciding who gets to see the doctor. I do not take this job lightly. I know it is always important to bathe the decisions in prayer because during the mobile clinic the Gospel of Jesus is presented.

At this clinic we were be able to treat around 120 people. I always calculate the number of patients I think a clinic can handle based the number of the volunteers I have along with the number of physicians. However, the typical number of people who will arrive at any mobile clinic is anywhere from 300-500 and sometimes more once word spreads that there are doctors present.

This morning was not any different. As the sun began to rise and we arrived at the clinic, there were  about 250 people already present and more people were arriving as each moment passed. This is when the difficult moment arrises. I quickly work my way through the crowd to select the 120 people who I feel need medical attention the most. The burden is always painfully difficult as people stare into my eyes and physically tug at my pant legs hoping I will select them. With great care and deep thought, I selected the 120. With great disappointment that never gets any easier,  I announced to the remaining hundreds that we will not be able to treat them. 

The two days of hosting the clinic were bittersweet. On the one hand we were able to treat a large number of patients and improve their physical health and minister to their spritual need, but on the other, we had to turn away hundreds. Although this is always a difficult challenge I know it is something we as the body of Christ must continue to do. I was reminded that this is why I am in Cambodia. This is what I am called to do. I am thankful to  God for choosing to use me in this capacity.