CENTRAL AMERICAN MEDICAL OUTREACH

CENTRAL AMERICAN MEDICAL OUTREACH FIRST DECADE (1993-2003) CAMO'S FIRST DECADE FOCUSED ON BUILDING ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPING A COUNTERPART MODEL IN 13 MEDICAL PROGRAMS. U.S. AND HONDURAN SPECIALISTS WERE PAIRED TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND FILL CRITICAL HEALTHCARE GAPS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY, DENTISTRY, BIOMEDICAL SERVICES, AUDIOMETRY, AND PROSTHETICS. WITH A GROWING INFLUX OF DONATED SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT, STORAGE SPACE BECAME A PRIORITY. INITIALLY HOUSED IN AN ABANDONED WAREHOUSE AND BARN, CAMO SOON SHIPPED SIX 53-FOOT FREIGHT CONTAINERS ANNUALLY TO HONDURAS. AT THE HOSPITAL REGIONAL DE OCCIDENTE, CONDITIONS WERE DIRE-BUZZARDS ROAMED THE COURTYARD, WATER WAS TRUCKED IN FROM A RIVER, AND THE KITCHEN WAS BLACKENED WITH SOOT FROM OPEN FIRES. CAMO ADDRESSED URGENT NEEDS BY BUILDING A MODERN KITCHEN AND LAUNDRY FACILITY, DRAMATICALLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR 210 PATIENTS DAILY. BY 1998, CAMO HAD GROWN BEYOND ITS FOUNDER'S HOME AND NURSING WAGES. THAT YEAR, HURRICANE MITCH STRUCK, AND AT THE REQUEST OF THE U.S. AMBASSA