March 20-29, 2019

Reflections By Darleen Bartz, Family Nurse Practitioner

This was my first Divine Healer Medical Mission trip to Nigeria, and I was blessed to have this opportunity. As it says in Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

When I received the text from Dr. Teresa Tallon in March 2018 asking if I was interested, I texted back “Yes!” I truly believe having the opportunity to serve others is so very rewarding and was pleased to have this opportunity. I then asked my daughter, Jacquelyn Bartz, if she was interested in coming – and after checking her schedule – she also said, “Yes!” So, with Sister Austin Terese, our team coming from the United States was made up of Dr. Teresa, myself, and my daughter Jacquelyn. What an awesome team!!

There were five days of clinic at the Mother Paul Offiah Memorial Hospital & Diagnostic Centre. This hospital and diagnostic centre, as well as the staff, are a true blessing to this community. Five providers were available to see patients throughout the week which included the doctor at the hospital as well as his wife. In the five days we were there we saw 610 patients in all – whoever came to the clinic with a healthcare need we addressed the best we could. The people were friendly, welcoming, patient (as we did not speak their language and used interpreters), and receptive to our care and treatment. It was a blessing to be able to serve them.

We saw many healthcare needs. Some concerns included: Malaria, Typhoid, Diabetes, Hypertension, Ulcers, Gynecological and Obstetrical Issues, Cardiac Issues, Skin Issues, Ulcers, Elephantiasis, and so forth. As a team, we worked together to provide the best care possible regardless of the health care need identified. Also, many patients had vision issues and were seen by my daughter and others related to glasses. The clinic stayed busy all five days!

We had a chance worship at two Catholic Churches close by. Worship and faith are a key part of a mission trip such as this one. In addition, we had the opportunity to take walks to see the beauty of the surrounding area. It was truly a rewarding experience that I would recommend to others. Thank you for including us as a part of the Divine Healer Medical Mission team!