HLGU Nursing Students and Faculty Help Village in Dominican Republic

by Rebecca Sneed

A group of HLGU Craigmiles School of nursing students and faculty are seeing the fruits of their labor after a medical mission trip to Cercadillo, a small village in the Dominican Republic.

Similar to the previous two trips, this third year for the medical mission trip, where the team once again worked with local missionary and HLGU Alum Ina York ’80, saw the nursing students teaching practical tips on basic health and hygiene. A big focus for them was teaching the women of the village the importance of drinking water.

A presentation was made with internal organs made of felt showing the women how a lack of water hinders each body system. The women were amazed at the information and each one was given a water bottle to help measure their intake.

After the nursing students and faculty left, the group of women was photographed with their water bottles. They have also been reporting fewer headaches, less dizziness, and an overall improvement in how they feel.

“I had no idea that if I drank more water I’d feel this much better,” reported one of the Dominican ladies.

While in Cercadillo, the nurses also treated “nacidos,” a contagious skin boil suffered by many people in poor communities, and “hongo,” a fungus found most often on faces, in hair, and especially with children.

To treat the nacidos, the nurses administered topical antibiotics and injections. Additionally, they went into five homes where the infection was particularly intense and helped the families wash all bedding and clothes and treat all surfaces with bleach, all the while pumping and carrying all the water necessary for the cleaning.

To combat the hongo, the nursing students made an antifungal shampoo and distributed it, along with antifungal cream to the women at the health education workshops. Everyone was encouraged to not only help their own children, but also share with other children in the community who have hongo.

Additionally, first aid kits were distributed, and two blood pressure cuffs were left. York has seen the women readily apply what they learned in this year’s workshops.

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