Cultural Awareness

 This week I believe I respected the cultural differences here in Panama. By trying new things and learning why they do what they do.  For instance using holistic methods versus modern medicine methods.  Being limited on supplies you have to learn to manage with what you have. I didn't come across any ethical tension that I can recall.  I am uncertain if this counts as a biase but I noticed in the dining hall the locals didn't sit with us and some seemed very timid.  But this week had been a real eye opener for me on how hard it is to provide care with limited sources.  We had a lot of people come through the clinics but we ran out of some of the meds they needed the closer we got to the end. With Panama having a big population with limited resources I can't even begin to imagine how fast they run out of supplies. Not to mention only making $5 a day and needing to make the choice of spending money on Healthcare or food. Sometimes it is hard to make ends meet for me and my family but after this experience I can see that my problems are not as bad as others. I know while giving care I will question what supplies I truly need to take into a patients room for fear of wasting it when I know Panama doesn't have the same resources. This picture is what they used to sanitize their utensils for dental procedures this week.  It is almost like a pressure cooker. 


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