Our First Clinic

On Tuesday the l2th of October, we packed all our boxes into a flat bed truck and set out with Pere Delicat for Saint Philippe and Saint Jacques Episcopal Mission in Gressier. There were a number of people already waiting as we arrived and the waiting list grew as the day proceeded. After setting out the medications in the part of the church we were using as a pharmacy, we were ready to begin.  The general procedure was that patients would see Dr. Pizey, Dr. Dean, or Dr. Richime who would prescribe medication or send the person to Leslie Freeman for urinalysis, glucose or pregnancy testing, or send them for an eyeglass fitting if appropriate.  After filling their prescription in the pharmacy, the patient would be released.  Many of our patients had never been examined by a doctor before in their lives.  None of the eye glass recipients had ever owned a pair of glasses.  It was heartwarming to hear one women say "Now I will be able to read my bible again."  On this first day of our clinic, we saw a total of 125 patients. The family that lived in the house across the street from the church was kind enough to feed all of us at the end of our working day.