Centro Medico de EspecialidadesGuaimaca, Honduras
- Hospital Website
- http://www.bmdmi.org/
- Mission Organization
- Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
- Location
- Centro Medico de Especialidades (formerly Bautista Hospital) is located in Guaimaca, Honduras, approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from Tegucigalpa. The elevation of the hospital is 2,730 feet, with the surrounding mountains ranging from 5,000 to 9,000 feet. Although the hospital is located in the mountains of Honduras in Central America, you will not find the stereotypical “Amazon jungle” terrain that many first-time visitors may expect. Here in the mountains, the main trees are pines, accompanied by a variety of hardwood, banana, mango, plantain, lemon, orange, grapefruit, and papaya.
- Profile
- The hospital is newly built, with some parts still under construction. An average of 50 patients a day are seen at Centro Medico de Especialidades. Patients are seen on an outpatient basis and overnight service is provided if needed. Three Honduran doctors (FP), nurses, other workers, and volunteers are doing a wonderful job of providing Christian medical care, administered with love to each and every patient. The hospital is open to see patients Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., or until all patients have been seen. The hospital also offers 24/7 emergency care, birthing, and ambulance service. The ambulance currently runs about once a day. Many patients are taken to Tegucigalpa.
- Time Difference
- -1 hour Eastern Standard Time and -2 hours Eastern Daylight Time.
- Travel
- Fly by commercial air to Tegucigalpa, the nation's capital. You will be met in the baggage claim area and transported to the hospital by a hospital representative wearing a royal blue T-shirt with a circle on the back that says WMM. The hospital will not arrange in-country travel for visitors using TACA airlines.
- Language
- Spanish is the predominant language spoken in Honduras, although you will find people who speak varying degrees of English. In remote mountain regions, there are still some who speak an indigenous dialect that does not resemble Spanish.
- Religion
- The majority of the people in Honduras practice Catholicism. There is a Catholic church in almost every town square with masses held frequently. There are also a growing number of Protestant churches spreading throughout Honduras. You will also find on occasion Mormon temples, witchcraft, etc.
- Climate
- Winter is really only in December and January and temperatures drop to a “frigid” upper 50's to lower 60’s at night and mid to upper 70's during the day. A light jacket comes in handy for the evenings during this time of year. The rest of the year it is normally warm with temperatures ranging from the upper 60's and lower 70's at night to upper 80's to mid 90's during the day. The rainy season is June through mid-November. During this period it typically rains at least once a day, often hard. On rare occasions the rain seems to come down almost sideways.
- Housing
- A duplex is available on the hospital grounds with either two or three bedrooms and a kitchen. There is also dorm style housing available. All housing has indoor bathroom facilities, with hot showers and electricity (110 volts).
- Food
- Meals are served in the dining hall of the dorm. You may also prepare meals on your own in the duplex if you choose to do so. There are some local restaurants, as well as opportunities to travel to Tegucigalpa or Campamento to eat out. Water on the hospital grounds is safe to drink as it is from a 300-foot deep well.
- For More Information
- Contact Sandy Souto by email or by phone at: (828) 278-1006.
