 |
Annette Merlino DMD - Missions Trips - Guanaja |
I have been traveling to Honduras annually to the island of Guanaja. This small island (10 x 3 miles) has no full-time dentist. We learned this when I joined my husband on a relief trip. The men of my church planned to rebuild houses on Guanaja after over 90% of them were destroyed in Hurricane Mitch. I tagged along with my dental equipment in hand. That was back in 1999 and I have since been taking dental students from Pitt and others to help serve the people there.
 |
 |
Over the years, I have donated dental equipment which I leave in storage there. My hope is that other dentists would go to Guanaja and serve as well.
The students and I usually work a few days in the small medical clinic in one town, Savannah Bight. Then we spend a few days traveling to the other towns, some of which do not have electricity, where we are only able to do extractions and cleanings. If we have electricity or a generator, then we are able to do both amalgam(silver) and composite(white) fillings. Of course, everywhere we go, we try to educate.
The people on the island speak both Spanish and English, as they were once part of British Honduras (now Belize).
Anyone is welcome to join me on these trips. We always need helpers, sometimes just to sit and talk with the people while they wait. We usually go for 10 days in January. Contact me if you are interested.