Peruvian Amazonia Medical Elective
Experiences and Benefits
Forth Hope Boat
The Forth Hope boat is run by Scottish charity Vine Trust. It provides free, multi-disciplinary care and acts as a one-stop shop for patients to be seen and treated. The team cares for over 160 remote and vulnerable Amazonian villages, many of which have minimal or no other healthcare provisions. The full-time team consists of a local doctor and dentist, a laboratory technician, and a pharmacist. It also relies on the generosity and goodwill of local volunteers, including nurses and midwives, to provide a comprehensive medical service. The boat also hosts international volunteers including doctors and medical students, such as myself.
While on the boat, we changed location early each morning, arriving at the next village along the assigned course. Firstly, we would visit the local school and provide education on parasite infections (a very common problem) and dental hygiene. After this, the clinics would start. The local people would come aboard to be triaged by the nursing team, and assigned to the appropriate treatment area, depending on whether they required medical/dental care, or both. As part of the medical team, I worked alongside Dr. Ramirez and Dr. Lloyd, running daily clinics akin to that of a UK GP. Patients presented with a variety of conditions, some like the UK (diabetes, hypertension, ‘gripe’ (flu)), and some very different (malaria, dengue fever, machete injuries). The boat also offered eye tests and glasses for anyone in need; it quickly became apparent that there were many elderly people who were unable to read anymore due to failing vision but had never had an eye test before. For these people, having a quick eye test and being given a ‘basic’ pair of glasses was life changing.
Iquitos Hospital
The second part, spending time in the infectious diseases department in the hospital, involved integrating myself into the secondary care team, and further learning about tropical medicine. I took part in ward rounds, observing and completing patient examinations, analysing blood and other test results, amongst other things. In this department, patients had a variety of tropical infectious illnesses, including malaria, tuberculosis, oropouche fever, and HIV, things that I have not encountered during my training in the UK. Having the opportunity to do the elective of two halves meant that I got to see a continuum of care; the boat only provides limited care, so some patients were advised to travel to the hospital for further treatment. For some inpatients staying on the ward, reaching the hospital took over 20 days by boat, which really contextualises why the work of the Forth Hope boat is so vital to these communities.
Reflections
On reflection, I feel extremely enriched after my elective in Peru. Being able to learn so much about tropical medicine in the Amazon rainforest truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It really was a privilege to be able to serve these communities and learn so much about their culture, and about their symbiotic relationship with the beautiful environment in which they live. As international volunteers, the money we pay to Vine Trust charity allows them to pay the full-time staff and allows the Forth Hope boat to sail. Without this, many communities would struggle evenmore than they do already. The Hospital Saturday Fund’s extremely generous grant awarded to myself allowed me to pay towards this cost, something I am truly grateful for.