From Bill Aplington, I Care International Board Secretary 

I Care International has reached an agreement with the Gregorio Schaffer Hospital in San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala to collaborate on a vision clinic there. The 6 day clinic, serving perhaps no more than 1500 patients, is expected to begin on Saturday, February 25th and be completed on Thursday, March 2nd.  Part time volunteer clinic participation may be workable depending on the size and composition of our team.  

Adequate and appropriate space is available in and near the hospital that will help insure a safe working environment.  A group of I Care board members have begun discussing our current clinic process and practices to determine what changes are necessary to reduce the risks associated with the Corona virus. This effort will be expanded now to include more of the I Care volunteer force of doctors and nurses for their input and approval of a plan to conduct a well organized and responsible clinic.  

Airline seats, hopefully non-stop flights, for a California and an Illinois group will be reserved soon.  Those dates will most likely be outbound on Friday the 24th of February (or around midnight of the 23rd for the California group, as most flights from Lax to Guatemala are of the red-eye type, sorry!) with a return on Monday, March 6th. Roundtrip ticket prices may be under $500.00. Lodging and meal plan costs will also be announced soon. 

These past years have been long and difficult for our organization. Our last mission was to El Salvador in the Spring of 2020. 2022 saw the passing of our founder, Dr. Phil Ortiz. The pandemic affected us both individually and collectively. We believe brighter days are ahead.

So, let’s try to get this clinic up and “on the road”, with a safe and successful jornada on the shores of the most beautiful lake in the world, as Huxley described Lake Atitlan, with our wonderful Guatemalan compatriots…..

Dr. Phil Ortiz

In Loving Memory Of Dr. Phil Ortiz

If you would like to have your name added to the clinic roster please send an email to Bill Aplington as soon as possible to:

[email protected]

 

Thank you for your support!!