Pharmacy Students Aboard the USNS Mercy Prepare to Go Ashore
Teams of volunteers prepared supplies to be taken ashore for the land-based medical outreach that will soon begin taking place near North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Roughly 20 patients came onboard the USNS Mercy signifying the official start of medical care for Pacific Partnership 2012.
As Project HOPE volunteers helped welcome patients and get them set up for their pre-operation tests, other teams of volunteers prepared supplies to be taken ashore for the land-based medical outreach that will soon begin taking place near North Sulawesi, Indonesia.
A fresh shipment of medicine that was flown in by helicopters was reorganized for various medical sites with the help of Project HOPE Shenandoah University pharmacy volunteers, Alexis Hargbol, Kofi Kyei-Mensah, and also volunteer Dr. Sam Hunt.
“We spent the day reorganizing the medicines that will be used at the five medical sites in Indonesia,” says Hargbol. “We got a mix of everything from antibiotics, to cold medicines.”
Hargbol will be one of the first Project HOPE pharmacists to go ashore to work at the land-based medical sites.
“I have heard about the conditions, like the possibility of rain which makes things interesting, but I am excited to be able to help,” she says.
Kyei-Mensah talked about his time in the pharmacy department on the USNS Mercy as hard work, but also enjoyable at the same time.
“We have been getting supplies ready, putting labels on the medication, and making sure that everything is accounted for,” said Kyei-Mensah. “I just want to get out, and see what is out there.”
As the team makes their final preparations, the voyage to the first medical site will soon be underway.