Emmaus Medical Mission
In the fall of 2001, a handful of doctors, nurses and volunteers went on the first medical mission to Sumpango, Guatemala. After treating over a thousand patients, some of whom had walked all night through the mountains to be seen by the physicians, the medical team agreed to return every six months to treat the mountain people of Guatemala. Within a couple of years the medical mission had grown to over thirty volunteers and took on the official name of the Emmaus Medical Mission.
The Emmaus Medical Mission runs like a well-oiled machine with logistical teams, triage units and multidisciplinary specialists who treat a broad range of health care needs. From set-up to tear-down, the clinics resemble a fully operational "MASH" unit with the capacity to deliver effective field-based healthcare. Each team member travels with two duffle bags weighing over 100 lbs. filled with medicines and supplies. The medications arrive with the team to ensure that no medicines are lost along the way; they are hand carried and delivered by the physicians to the patients for whom they were intended. No government or non-government intermediaries have access to the medications at any point during the mission thus ensuring complete accountability.
With over eighty volunteers and healthcare providers routinely going on these medical missions, a second village in Guatemala, San Pedro, is also served by the medical mission.
The Emmaus Medical Mission is an example of how two non-profit organizations collaborate together to help the undeserved, impoverished, and forgotten people in Guatemala. Dr. Orlando Silva, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Miami, is the backbone of the organization and serves as the medical director as well as spiritual leader. Since the beginning, Dr. Silva has recruited medical professionals as well as volunteers and is active in the planning and executing of each of the medical missions.
For information and donations, please email:
Dr. Orlando Silva