NAB Team Performs Baseline Health Screenings in Six Roma Villages
An incredible six-member medical team from Hillside Baptist Church in Dickinson, North Dakota, joined with our MEK team to do baseline health screenings in six Roma villages in Romania and Hungary from March 31 to April 10. These health screenings are important in four crucial ways.
First, they give poor people the opportunity to obtain an assessment of their personal health and the health of their children, based on key indicators such as blood screenings, eye-checks, blood pressures and mouth examinations.
Second, the health data we collect from each village gives our community development teams a clearer picture of community habits, priorities, problems and desires for change.
Third, when these findings are presented to the community, the members have a clearer idea of why they need community change. This helps them make an informed decision on committing to doing community development with us.
Fourth, future screenings in the same village will be compared with these baseline results to indicate where progress is and is not being made.
And finally, screenings give us a close-up opportunity to present the love of Christ and to begin a long-term relationship with the villagers.
The first week we screened over 400 villagers in the Romanian communities of Parhida, Félegyhaza and Akos. The team was continually busy from the time we opened our doors to the time we closed them.
The second week we saw about 100 Roma and Hungarians in Ajak, Matraszölös, and Teleki, Hungary. The differences in numbers reflect the hours our doors were open and the better accessibility to health care in Hungary. However, health conditions in both countries were about the same.
Clara Kessel, an EMT Specialist, joined Carolyn Otterness, our community health nurse and project organizer, to do general physical check-ups. Trisha Osborne, a phlebotomist, tested cholesterol, sugar and red blood cell counts. Erwin Vanveldhuizen, a retired school teacher and team leader, took height, weight and waist measurements while his wife, Marty, a registered nurse, took blood pressures and pedal pulses. Kari Kolling, dental hygienist, performed dental examinations; and Ruth Greene did basic eye exams and provided reading glasses to many of those who needed them.
Our MEK team did registration and provided spiritual counsel and translation. Ron assisted Kari and now thinks he wants to become an orthodontist!
We want to thank our wonderful team from North Dakota, who worked long hours through jet lag, short nights, long travels on bumpy roads, strange food and many new customs, for their dedicated and sacrificial work. We look forward to having them return soon.