Months of preparation culminated in a sleepy but excited 6:30am gathering at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport this morning. All 24 members of FTC Canada's 2009 El Salvador Medical-Dental Mission assembled, bags loaded with supplies and donations, eager to embark on a week-long journey to bring primary medical and dental care to needy families in five rural El Salvador villages.
FTC Canada President, Ken Dick and Medical Team Advisor Dr. Tony Brown and the FTC crew seamlessly orchestrated the day’s travel; we arrived safely in the country’s capital, San Salvador, to an enthusiastic welcome. There is a feeling of great excitement for this particular trip. This is the first time an FTC medical-dental team has come to El Salvador in over 10 years. Hopes for the care we can provide here are high.
The team arrived at our hotel by 2:00 pm local time, and quickly began the tedious task of pre-packing thousands of children’s chewable vitamins into individually bagged doses. In addition to any prescribed medications they may require, each patient visiting the clinic will receive 30 days worth of vitamins. All of the supplies must be prepped before heading out into the villages.
There are both new and familiar faces on this year’s team. Sunday will provide an opportunity for all the team members to meet each other and receive orientation as we prepare for the week of clinics ahead.
