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- Title
Duffle Bag Medicine.
- Authors
Roberts, Maya
- Abstract
The article describes and examines the work of transient health care clinics staffed by untrained volunteers in a Guatemalan village. The author observed the work of American missionary volunteers in Guatemala. She points out that most of the volunteers had no medical training, and dispensed donated medications such as vitamins, acetaminophen, and antibiotics they had brought with them. Most of the volunteers did not speak Spanish, and none spoke the native language of the region, Kaqchiquel. The author reflects upon the consequences of unsupervised work, which is ultimately without any clear accountability. She warns about the risks associated with the distribution and inappropriate use of antibiotics. She proposes the restructuring of how the volunteers interact with the community.
- Subjects
GUATEMALA; VOLUNTEER workers in medical care; LAY missionaries; MEDICAL missionaries; MEDICAL care; DRUG administration
- Publication
JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2006, Vol 295, Issue 13, p1491
- ISSN
0098-7484
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1001/jama.295.13.1491