UPDATE:  Sunday, June 18, 2006

     After a morning at the Chichi outdoor market, a crowded, sprawling place right outside our hotel, we brought the bus to the Camanchaj clinic.  As usual, there were quite a few people sitting there already, waiting for assessments for possible surgeries.

     Several patients came early today, and asked Chris, who was here to start setting up, if we could “fix” them.  One was a child with spina bifida, another had hydrocephalus….  We could do nothing for them.

     We arrived at the clinic and began assessments, scheduling patients for days and times.  There were several cleft lip patients, some cleft palate patients, many women needing GYN help, some with burn scar contractures, many with various cysts, etc.

     The OR’s are being cleaned, fix-it man Joe is rigging new tubing on an anesthesia machine, David and Steve are checking the O2 tanks, Cheryl and Pam are checking patients in, Max is assisting Charlie Stump with the exams, Martin and Mackenzie are entertaining lots of kids with bubble blowing, Arlen is helping to assess patients with Larry Slade for plastic surgery, etc.  It’s a busy place.

     Here are some pictures of some of the kids that will be operated on this week.

One  of the cleft patient that will be operated on.	A burn scar contracture from scalding water several years ago.
Another burn victim.	Esther preparing the OR for surgery.

Waiting for surgery.

Phil introducing the team to the clinic.