Our team, which consisted of two doctors, one physician assistant, one nurse practitioner and several nurses, along with other volunteer staff, were able to treat many people in the local community and were able to provide free medications (blood pressure, antibiotics, and anti-diabetic medications) to hundreds of happy and grateful people.

On the pediatric front, I found the children of Albania to be generally healthy. I was the only pediatrician on the team and most of my time was spent doing screening exams and making recommendations on healthy child-raising. Surprisingly, I did find a significant number of children with autism there, and there were many children who were over-nourished…another surprise for me.

A small contingent of our group was also able to tour the local children’s hospital in Vlore and we were encouraged by what we saw. Yes, they have limited resources, but the facility was perfectly clean and it was clear that they have pride in caring for the children in their community.

We also had a dinner with some of the prominent physicians in the Vlore community. I sat next to the pediatrician who is a leader in the community and he invited us back, both to hold another clinic, but also to present lectures to the pediatricians of southern Albania. I am considering this opportunity and looking at our future calendar for a time when this request could be consummated.

Overall, we cared for over 600 people during our time there. The pastor of the congregation was exceedingly pleased with our work and has thanked us repeatedly for our willingness to minister with our medical skills. We were also able to leave lots of medications and supplies to the local hospital and a women’s clinic in Vlore.