Tuesday, September 30, 2008

A City of Hope

Santo Domingo, the destination of our mission, is the capital of the Dominican Republic (DR). The citizens in the rural parts of this Caribbean island obtain the majority of their income through farming. However, many individuals are no longer able to provide for their families due to the disabling physical limitations of degenerative arthritis or trauma. While many of these individuals are unable to work due to these disabilities, others can't even walk around their homes due to lack of basic equipment such as canes and walkers.

Medical care is limited in the DR, especially outside Santo Domingo, which can make affordable and quality health care challenging. Health statistics suggest that DR must invigorate efforts to improve delivery of quality health care services to its citizens. These facts make the option of a total joint replacement impossible for many Dominican Republic citizens.

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