Medical Mission Reaches Many in Nicaragua

The annual Malta Medical Mission to Nicaragua spent late February and early March treating more than 1,000 patients there. The team of seven physicians included three from the Federal Association—Drs. Robert Cangelosi, Theodore Borgman and Frank Schmidt—as well as the Rev. Fintan Kilmurray, serving as chaplain, and mission coordinator Sidonie Schmidt and her helper.

Two of the surgeons performed 22 major operations at the Hospital Amistad Japon-Nicaragua. Dr. Cangelosi treated 411 patients in the Eye Clinic over the five working days. General medicine clinics were held each day in different locations in and around the city of Granada. The first at one, held in Pantanal, treated 99 adults and 49 pediatric patients. The second the next day, at Malacatoya, treated 61 adults and 46 children. The third, at San Blas, treated 53 adults and 80 children. The fourth, at Casa Sor Maria Romero, treated 49 adults and 35 children. The final one was held in the parish of San Rafael in the city of Rivas, where 130 adults and 50 children were seen. Including the surgery patients and those seen in the Eye Clinic, the mission medical team saw 1,065 patients on the entire mission.

The Angels, who are the local group that paves the way for the mission in Nicaragua, were invaluable in their support of the mission, particularly in choosing the locations most in need of care. They also saw to advertising the dates and sites of each clinic, arranging for lunches for the missioners, engaging translators and volunteers, and obtaining permissions from the Ministry of Health to allow the physicians to practice and bring medicines and supplies into the country. The Angels also honored the mission group with a dinner and reception at the end and presented inscribed crosses to each missioner.

The mission team is grateful to the Federal Association Grants Committee for its generous support. The Angels have asked us to return next year for a mission now scheduled for next March 15–23.