The Children’s International Dental Project
The Children’s International Dental Project was invited to bring a dental mission team to St. Vincent . We had learned about CIDP through the ADA website and we arranged their transportation, housing, meals and activities, as well as work sites.
The trip to SVG lasted from January 13 – 24, 2011 and the group consisted of 11 volunteers: Dr. Jim and Pat Orban, Dr. Richard Carter, Dr. David and Teresa Crichton, Dr. Robert Elliott, Dr. Mark and Susan Mollner, Sharyn Markus, Nate Mollner and Lauren Scott.
CIDP worked four days in each of two different sites on opposite sides of the island. Their first site was in the town of Layou, where they worked at the Starker Learning Resource Centre in the hallway and in some separate rooms. While it was a little crowded, there was a good turnout of children.
After two days of rest and relaxation, the group moved to the second location in the village of Carapan, in the Miracle Tabernacle Church. They again worked for four days, and treated a lot of children.
In spite of the fact that the group temporarily “lost” one of their four dental units, they were able to see over 350 children and a few adults. They completed over 334 fillings and 145 extractions, adding up to over $70,000 of free dental care to the people of St. Vincent. If the unit had turned up sooner, they could have provided 20% more dental work – and as it always happens, more people show up on the last two days than you can take care of and some are disappointed at not receiving dental care.
After their work phase, the group relaxed by sailing in the Grenadines for six days, which made for a beautiful way to end a very productive dental mission.
We run a 3-days chiropractic programme every year. We have been doing this since 2009 in collaboration with Commission’s Volunteers from the U.S.A. Each year, teams consisting of as few as 2 to as many as 15 Doctors of Chiropractic travel to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to provide this service. We offer these free adjustments mainly at a central location in Kingstown, the capital city of our island. We also take our adjusting tables and Chiropractors to government offices, the prisons, schools and other public places and provide adjustments to those who avail themselves of the opportunity to get adjusted. Chiropractic has gained tremendous acceptance in St. Vincent and the Grenadines since we started this programme, and we look forward to doing it for many years to come.
I felt so welcomed and safe the entire time. I was very impressed with the volunteers of the M.R.A. They were very organized and because of them, we were welcomed everywhere. I am very excited to return. – Chiromission Volunteer
Doctor Brett Bielory, volunteer eye surgeon with the Hawaiian Eye Foundation from the U.S.A , conducted an eye mission trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines; having been invited to do so by the Medical Relief Association Inc.
Dr. Bielory was the sole member of this inaugural mission trip which ran from August 1 to August 8, 2018. A total of 29 patients received free cataract surgery during this trip. Surgeries were conducted at two locations: – the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and the Georgetown Medical Complex.
Very many thanks to Hawaiian Eye Foundation and Doctor Bielory! Please come again.
Hope for a Healthier Humanity (H.H.H.)
Hope for a Healthier Humanity (H.H.H.) from New York, U.S.A., conducted its first dental mission trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines from 21st – 25th March 2012, under the auspices of the Medical Relief Association Inc.
Six (6) volunteers participated in this trip: Mr. William Sedutto – (Team Leader), Doctors Owen Fox, Bill and Susan Golz, Andy Rosenfield and Benn Lieberman.
Clinics were held at Doris McKie Centre in Upper Cane Hall, St. Vincent. Dental services provided were extractions and dental fillings. Each patient treated was given a tooth brush, tooth paste and dental floss. Approximately 200 patients were cared for by the team.
Be part of a Mission Team
We are always in need of passionate, dedicated and loving individuals to partner with us! If you are a medical or dental professional, or just someone who wants to join us in our outreaches in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, please contact fidelpcaesar@hotmail.com or call (784) 533 6600.
Refer volunteers to us
We are an all-volunteer organization that relies on the benevolence of medical professionals – locally and from overseas to carry out our work. If you know of organizations, groups or individuals interested in volunteering their services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines please let us know. We can utilize all kinds of medical specialists’ volunteers particularly those in the areas of urology, gastroenterology, cardiology, dermatology, rheumatology and psychiatry to mention a few.
Contribute Medical Supplies and Equipment
Medical Relief Association Inc. accepts donations of medical/dental supplies and equipment and medications. You can see our on-going Needs List here. If you would like to donate any of these items please contact us to further discuss your donation and logistical arrangements. You can also network with hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmaceutical companies, nursing homes etc. and coordinate the collection and shipping of unused, unexpired surplus donations on our behalf.
Financial Donations
Funds are needed to pay for the collection, storage and shipping of medical supplies and equipment and for our community health outreaches. Donate now via the PayPal link below. Thanks for your generous support!! Or, simply make out a cheque and mail it to us at:
Medical Relief Association Inc.
P.O. Box 1304,
Kingstown, VC0100
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
International Surgical Missions
A team of volunteers from I.S.M. – (International Surgical Missions), a Colorado U.S.A. based not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing surgical care to patients all over the world, conducted a 1-week surgical mission trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2010, marking the organization’s first visit to any Caribbean Island. The 13-member team consisted of a General Surgeon, a urologist, an E.N.T. Surgeon, Registered Nurses, Physician Assistants, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and Operating Room Technicians. The team arrived on the island August 28, 2010 and conducted an all-day screening clinic at the Milton Cato memorial Hospital the next day. Thirty patients aged 25 – 71 years were subsequently operated on. The surgeries performed were: Thyroidectomies (26), Tonsillectomy (1), Cystoscopy (1), Tympani Earlobe (1) and Mastoidostomy (1).
Dr. Paul Radway, a General Surgeon, headed the mission. Other volunteers that made up the team were Joel Thurn, David Roberson, Tropha Wright, Jim Woelk, David Hudson, Virginia Chacon, Monica Garbiso, Judy Zavislan, Marco Guerino Terry, Cameron Allen, Jessica Daniel Alt-Berg and Health Collins.
The team made a generous donation of medical supplies to the hospital and also presented gifts to the children at the Paediatric Ward.
Team 5 Foundation from the State of Nevada, U.S.A. collaborated with the Medical Relief Association Inc. to provide 10 days of free dental, medical, and first aid training sessions in 3 locations in St. Vincent. Their trip lasted from July 7 – July 17, 2013.
Team 5 Foundation’s purpose is to deploy teams to provide medical care and medical training around the globe.
The team treated 715 medical patients; 184 dental patients, 1 surgical patient and did 25 ultrasounds.
Five persons made up this team. They were Eric Linder RPM, Bryan Ferreira DDS, David Schneider EMT-Paramedic, Bridget Adams RN, Nicole Duva RN and Jed Conklin – Photographer.
United Hands
In late June/early July of 2009, we were able to deliver free care during a 10-day period to countless number of people throughout various communities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The occasion was the visit of a large team of volunteers from United Hands Incorporated, a Florida based non-profit organization that makes medical trips around the world annually. 58 volunteers came on this trip and this was the largest group that we had ever hosted. It consisted of MD’s, Psychologists, Dentists, Dental Hygienists, Optometrists, Sonogram technologists, Nurses and Audiology Technicians. We organized health fairs in 6 locations – Mesopotamia, Barrouallie, Chester Cottage, Troumaca, Georgetown, the Grenadine island of Canouan and also at Her Majesty’s Prison. Services delivered were cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes screenings, dental care, OB/Gyn services, hearing acuity and optometry tests. We also gave out free medication and reading glasses to patients who needed them. United Hands provided all the resources for these health fairs.
VOSH Trip
Medical Relief Association Inc., embarked on its first project in October 1992 when we hosted Dr. James Hess, and 12 other eye doctors and support personnel from VOSH/Minnesota Chapter, on a 10-day humanitarian eye care mission trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The VOSH volunteers travelled from Minnesota, USA, to provide free eye exams and donated prescription glasses at no charge to hundreds of patients who otherwise could not afford to pay for the cost of a spectacle. This project was held at 3 locations which provided easy for indigent persons from all over St. Vincent and the Grenadines to get tested and provided with a free pair of glasses. This project was a huge success and a great way to get MRA going!
“You have a beautiful country with wonderful kind people. Sandy and I will always remember our first VOSH trip” – Dr. Carl & Sandy Bloomquist – Minnesota, USA.
After repeated requests for their services, we were able to get WBO (World Blindness Outreach) to bring a surgical eye mission team to St. Vincent and the Grenadines to help meet our indigent patients eye needs.
World Blindness Outreach Inc.
World Blindness Outreach Inc. is a Philadelphia based non-profit humanitarian organization that has been conducting international eye missions since 1990.
The team of 6 volunteers conducted 75 cataract and pterygium surgeries during their 10-day trip which lasted from April 19 – April 25, 2015. All equipment and supplies as well as the medication which was given to patients at no charge to them, were shipped to St. Vincent in advance of the team’s arrival. Surgeries were done at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Participating in this humanitarian mission were: Albert Alley MD – (Team Leader) and co-founder of WBO, Ruben Landazuri MD, Cindy Poucel RN, Rita Hendrickson RN, William Cluley and Mark Jessen.
World Health Ambassadors
We had been actively pursuing World Health Ambassadors for some time to volunteer their services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. They first made a scouting mission here in 2015, then October 8 -16, 2016, they brought a team consisting of 12 members including medical and dental specialists from the United States and Vietnam. Participating members were:
- Thang Pham, DDS (Mission Team Leader)
- Thao Phan, Logistics Coordinator
- Nu Dang, DDS
- Nicole Rivera, DDS
- Tomy Luong, DDS
- Hung Nguyen, DDS
- Frank Procaccino, MD – Gastroenterologist
- Jonathan Hemmert, MD – Emergency Physician
- Quynh Lam, MD – Nephrologist
- Chi Tang, Dental Assistant
- Andrew Pham, Dental Assistant
Clinic site was at the Stubbs Poly Clinic in a sub-urban area of St. Vincent. A total of 177 dental extractions and cleaning were done and some of WHA’s medical team members visited four district clinics and presented each one with a Daptone unit which is used in fetal heart monitoring. Dr. Hemmert – the team’s emergency physician evaluated patients in the A & E Department at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and responded to ambulance/emergency calls, and Dr. Quynh and Dr. Frank Procaccino made hospital rounds with local physicians and medical students and also evaluated patients in the Nephrology and Gastroenterology clinics.
“Thank you, Fidel, on behalf of WHA! You were an integral part of our team, our experience and our ability to connect with and serve the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We will always remember your generosity and hospitality. Suffering is less when we are all there to help” – Thao Phan – WHA