The morning meeting came to an end when I learned about the four follow-up patients Beatriz was scheduled to see for the day. Beatriz is one of the four exceptional nurses that works for MEDLIFE in Lima and I was able to go with her to see how she completes the MEDLIFE mission in her daily work. We set out towards Maria Auxiliadora Hospital in San Juan de Miraflores to help the first patient during a doctor’s appointment. As we walked through the metal entrance gate, an energetic young teen ran towards us and hugged Beatriz. It was Gaby (*name changed), a patient of another MEDLIFE nurse who had a dental abscess and an external fistula. Beatriz asked her how she was doing and, after a short chat, said goodbye to continue our journey to meet with our first patient of the day.
We made our way through the long, white hallway, down the winding staircase, and back into the corner designated for surgical and specialty consultations. The waiting space was buzzing with activity. Every seat was filled and the walkways were like the streets of Lima during rush hour. We took two laps through the waiting area but we could not find the first patient. As if she read our minds, Gaby and her family popped up behind us and Beatriz solicited her help in finding our elusive patient. With only a description of the patient, Gaby returned within five minutes with a location! While she was away, her mother expressed concern to Beatriz that Gaby would not get a much needed consultation because she had misplaced her DNI (National Identity Document-similar to a social security card in the United States).
After Beatriz had worked with the first patient to figure out the next step in her treatment, she set out to help Gaby. Gaby needs jaw surgery soon so it was imperative that she had a consultation within the week. Without the DNI, the hospital was unable to make the appointment for her but Beatriz found another way. She went to a doctor that she had previously worked with and asked if he had any availability. He had an opening for later that day but he first needed her patient history. Beatriz went to the registrar to obtain the history but she was unable to access it without Gaby’s DNI. After zig zagging her way around the hospital and filling out various forms, Beatriz found a way to get Gaby a temporary hospital DNI that expired at the end of the day. She went back to the doctor who was then able to access Gaby’s medical history and fill out the paperwork necessary to schedule the appointment, much to Gaby’s mother’s relief. Gaby had the consultation and is now scheduled for her operation next week!
As I watched this all unfold, I realized two things. First, our nurses are dedicated to their patients and the MEDLIFE mission:
Our mission is to help families achieve greater freedom from the constraints of poverty, empowering them to live healthier lives. Our patients did not choose to be poor, but they have chosen to strive toward a better life; MEDLIFE stands beside them in this pursuit.
Beatriz already had a full schedule for the day but when a patient of another nurse came to her for help, she made the time to get her what she needed. Beatriz stood beside Gaby (when she was not busy running around the hospital) to get her the appointment that would enable Gaby to lead a healthier life.
The second thing I realized is that the MEDLIFE mission would be incredibly difficult to fulfill without the knowledge the nurses bring to the team. The medical system in Peru is difficult to maneuver which is why so many people are wary of seeking medical attention. The nurses are talented at getting our patients government aided health insurance, helping them work within the system during the treatment, and keeping the process moving when roadblocks arise. Without the nurses’ abilities to work within the system to keep everything moving smoothly, many patients would not be able to get the care that they need.
The best part is, the nurses are motivated to do this work due to their own dedication and joy. Many of the patients live far away from our office in San Borja but there is no distance Beatriz and the other nurses are not willing to cover to bring the patients the aid they need to live healthier lives. Every day I come to work, I am surrounded by an incredibly selfless and dedicated group of people from different places and backgrounds. We have Beatriz, our nurse from Lima; Renato who lived in Honduras most of his life and studies International Business while working in Administration; Sarah from Britain who studies foreign language and European studies and works in communications; and me and my 10 fellow Volunteer Affairs interns who hail from eight different states in America and have varying educational backgrounds. Seeing first-hand the lengths Beatriz was willing to go to in order to help a patient was a great reminder of how fortunate I am to be a part of the MEDLIFE team during my internship.
