Dr. Lindsey Inouye, a radiologist from Tucson, Arizona, took his family on a vacation to Guatemala in January 2006. Through nonprofit Cross-Cultural Solutions, Dr. Inouye donated two weeks of his services as a physician to the needy at Guatemala's National Cancer Center.
Dr. Inouye observed that the poverty in Guatemala City is profound. Yet, he says, "the human spirit is alive and well." Dr. Inouye's physician friend, Dr. Eva Duarte, who runs the hospice service in the National Cancer Center, elaborated: "We may be a third-world country, but we don't have third-world minds." With help from a number of vendors, Dr. Duarte and her colleagues plan to develop a topnotch facility to detect cancer earlier, treat the disease before it progresses to deadly states, and provide palliative care for those who suffer.
Dr. Inouye helped by interviewing Mayan patients, discussing surgical oncology with hospice MDs, presenting tumor embolization techniques, and discussing future projects with hospital administrators.
Despite his lack of Spanish and uncertainty over what his work would be, Dr. Inouye said the program staff provided all the basics and made his family feel very welcome. "We were given assignments promptly and encouraged to extend ourselves as much as possible to maximize our experience."
Dr. Inouye said he thinks cultural exchange and international service are important because they provide the basis for understanding and empathy between people. "With that link, anything is possible," he said, adding that Cross-Cultural Solutions created an excellent opportunity to experience local culture. "No other vacation I've taken has created such a euphoric sensation. It's been a month since we returned, and we still talk daily about our experience in Guatemala."
Dr. Inouye's family members took part in other volunteer activities during the two weeks he worked at the cancer center. Dr. Inouye plans to return to Guatemala soon with U.S.-trained colleagues to continue the important work of improving local cancer treatments. "We look forward to exchanging technologies/techniques with them." "Guatemala," he says, "will always hold a special place in our hearts."
