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

‘A true blessing’

At the conclusion of the second day of the clinic, the tired volunteers walk down a muddy hill to bathe in the cold waters of a nearby river, as there are few available showers in the village. They towel off, have a warm dinner and string up their hammocks for a final night.

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.”

Serrano and the people of La Sabana are thankful as well. He said that La Sabana is a close-knit community and at their regular meetings they often praise and voice continued support for the visits from the Floating Doctors.

“We have a lot of need here. We have a lot of patients that suffer from chronic diseases and a lot of accidents such as snake bites, machete cuts or children with broken bones,” 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.”

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]

On the final morning, the Floating Doctors load the duffel bags full of medical equipment and strap them to the pack horses to begin the journey back to headquarters. The descent through the humid and boggy rainforest is easier than the trek up, and there is a sense of joy among the group, who laugh and sing during the sunny morning trek.

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. After arriving, the jubilant and exhausted team changes into swimming gear. They take a final group photo and then, together, jump into the warm and clear waters surrounding the island.

In three months' time, another group of Floating Doctors volunteers will make this same trek to La Sabana to provide care to residents in need. A few others will carry on to Wari – about an hour’s walk deeper into the rainforest – to visit Omayra.

“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 come all the way to our home to care for Omayra, that’s a true blessing for us.”

Jyotika Vallurupalli (left), a volunteer from the US, and Iris Ertugrul, a Floating Doctors team member from the Netherlands, attend to patient Omayra Abrego at her home in Wari, Panama [Adam Williams/Al Jazeera]

Reporting for this story was supported by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Health Innovation Fellowship.