Dr. Beyda sent the update below and some images of their most recent clinic and the final round of training for the Health Care Workers (HCWs). These HCWs were already working at Mission of Mercy projects in Ethiopia. Their commitment to the children was evident before they went through the first round of training with Dr. Beyda and Medical Mercy.

Now, as they wrap up their week of clinics around Mission of Mercy's Ethiopia projects, Dr. Beyda reflects on the Health Care Workers' progress.

100 patients today in the blink of an eye. They kept coming and coming, and we were supposed to be on the road. It didn’t happen. A little jostling, a few short tempers, people wanting to be seen, so we stayed. Why not.

Those that we saw needed to be seen. A 12 year old girl who passed out daily while running, then having seizures, and a simple listening to her heart and the diagnosis was made. Abnormal heart rhythm. We collected some money and sent her to Addis to the pediatric cardiac clinic for a work up and treatment. She’ll live to see another day and have a full life.

Poor, very poor people came, more so than yesterday. No turning them back. I’m glad we stayed. We had seen all of our Mission of Mercy children, and the community was waiting their turn.

We are at the end except for a graduation ceremony tomorrow. The end of our clinic days, but we had didactic lectures on the days we weren’t seeing patients so the days were full.

All in all we saw over 600 patients. That is 600 patients we saw training the Health Care Workers at the “bedside” giving them clinical instruction on how to examine patients, make a diagnosis and treat disease. Slow, but productive.

The 10 HCWs finished up the clinical part of the training in full force, seeing patients on their own, making difficult diagnoses, and caring about the patients they were seeing.

The pictures say it all. They are are a remarkable group. 10 HCWs who now will be able to take care of, care about, and care for, the children that Mission of Mercy embraces in its arms.