What Do Medical Christian Missions Look Like?

At GFA World, medical Christian missions take on a few forms. Along with providing disease-preventing mosquito nets, clean drinking water and toilets, we sponsor medical camps. These free camps allow qualified doctors and nurses to see patients from poor communities. The medical teams can diagnose illnesses, treat injuries, give medicine, advise parents and assist those who need further treatment. The size of the camps varies depending on the location, but most serve between 200 and 1,000 people. While people wait to be seen, the healthcare staff teach them about hygiene, handwashing, sanitation, nutrition, clean water and regular checkups for pregnant women. This knowledge will help prevent some illnesses in the community moving forward.[1]

GFA Pastor Birkley, also a medical doctor, had organized two medical camps in a remote, rugged village already, but he felt a third camp was necessary as the closest healthcare center was more than five and a half miles away over a difficult dirt road that would take a person hours to travel. But when sickness strikes, traveling that far is not really feasible. Even if it were, many villagers would be unable to pay for care at the healthcare center. Paying for medications or other remedies would push many further into destitution.