Medical Mission Seeks Amateur Radio Operators

Interested in visiting another country, helping out a good cause, using amateur radio and having a whole bunch of fun at the same time? Getting involved in a medical mission to Honduras may be just the right opportunity for you!

The International Health Service (IHS) of Minnesota is a non-profit organization that provides free health care to the people of Honduras. Each year IHS sends teams to various parts of Honduras to provide health care to people that desperately need it. IHS has been doing this work for over 20 years. In February 2002, the mission trip included 111 people assigned to ten teams that set up temporary clinics to serve over 10,000 medical and dental patients.

A typical team includes one or two doctors, a few nurses, a pharmacist, a dentist, a radio operator, an engineer, a language translator and a few general helpers. These teams are spread out, often into remote parts of the country, so the role of radio operator is critical to providing communications that link these teams together. Most villages have no phones, electricity or even roads. The typical radio setup at each location is similar to a basic Field Day operation—an HF transceiver powered by a gasoline generator, driving a wire antenna hung on the nearest tree or building.

IHS is in need of amateur radio operators with HF portable operating experience that are interested in this type of volunteer work. The next mission to Honduras is scheduled for February 14 to March 2, 2003. Applications for this important mission are being taken now through the beginning of October 2002.

Most IHS participants find this to be some of the most rewarding work they have ever done. If you'd like to find out more about this opportunity, contact John KB0UUP or Bob K0NR, listed below.

Contact Information
John Kirckof, KB0UUP, IHS Communications Director, JMKKEK@runestone.net, Tel. 320-634-4386

Bob Witte, K0NR, IHS Assistant Communications Director, k0nr@arrl.net, Tel. 719-488-0942

Internet links:

The IHS web site is at http://www.ihsofmn.org

A Yahoo groups web site for IHS Radio Operators is active at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IHSRadio

 

Sounds very interesting I'll definately ask for more info - btw just for people's information -> http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ho.html just in case they don't know where the Honduras is.

 

Could be fun. Who pays for my airfare from Alaska? Room and eats, etc.

Thx
Don

 

got to have $1000 to go.good deal if you want a vacation.$400 fee?/550 for airfare...</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">

 

The International Health Service (IHS) of Minnesota is a non-profit organization that provides free health care to the people of Honduras. Each year IHS sends teams to various parts of Honduras to provide health care to people that desperately need it. Dose this mean that there are no more fellow AMERICANS in Minnesota that require these services?

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (n0ass @ Aug. 19 2002,12:05)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Dose this mean that there are no more fellow AMERICANS in Minnesota that require these services?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Hardly. First you need to be clear about the kind of medical care that can be given in a remote village clinic. Surgeries are rare, most beyond what might be termed emergency surgery are referred to a hospital. Basically, well-baby care and family medicine is what these clinics dispense. With that in mind, you should consider that most AMERICANS in need of this kind of service has had it SOMETIME in their lives. If not, they are not taking advantage of the many free clinics that offer the same. America is rich with opportunities to obtain this level of care--even if one is without money.

You'll find that many of the doctors who give their time for free in these same American clinics are the ones who also travel to Honduras. The difference is that the clinics in Honduras are most often the only medical help the villagers ever see. The opportunities are very rare for them.

Now, if they were dispensing free heart transplants to Honduran villagers, you'd have a point.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (hartdaniel @ Aug. 17 2002,05<!--emo&)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Dont think I want to pay to do this. I would go if fees were waived. Also not a very stable area.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Like most things in life, this trip is not for everyone. You have to be flexible with your time, be comfortable going to another country and have the funds to support your travel. IHS operates off of volunteer energy and dollars with very little money going to "overhead".

The part of Honduras that we travel to is relatively safe and IHS has experienced only minor problems.

73,
Bob K0NR

 

Thanks for your very interesting post. I do not presently have the finances to do this but might be interested at a later date. Is there anyway I could contact you by hf to talk about this a little. Also I would like to talk to whoever goes on this trip while you are in Honduras.
Thanks for the info. 73 and God Bless, Joe, K5EUY/9
Fort Wayne, IN.<!--QuoteEnd-->