Namita Ravi | December 31, 2017
Lima, Peru
Over spring break of 2015, ten Caltech students spent a week in Lima, Peru as part of Medlife’s clinical service mission. For ten days, we stayed in the city of Miraflores and traveled to various smaller districts each morning. These districts were a drastically different scene from anything back home, or even in Miraflores. The communities consisted of tiny huts scattered across the barren dirt, connected by winding bumpy paths. Seeing these living conditions, where entire villages lacked electricity and running water, was one of the most shocking aspects of the trip.
Our goal in these communities was to provide access to medical care, particularly primary care. Most people in these areas have never seen a doctor in their lives. As we pitched the tents each morning and set up clinic, people arrived from all across the district to seize the chance to see a physician. The healthcare we provided was extremely basic. The doctors provided a quick physical exam, while we took the patients’ vitals and taught the children how to brush their teeth. However, even these simple services were so appreciated. The children ran around us in circles as we measured their height, and giggled each time the toothpaste stung their mouths. Beyond basic care, we were also able to provide these communities with something further: knowledge. Some of our patients had never even heard of “diabetes” before, or didn’t know what blood pressure was. By providing them with this simple information, we can significantly improve their future lifestyles. Many of the cases we witnessed stemmed largely from lack of medical awareness. In the OBGYN clinic, for instance, most women came in with infections that could have been prevented through contraception usage. By educating these communities, we were able to give them a form of aid that would last far beyond our short, one-week visit.