324 PICS PIC IT /the-ideas/frankduggan/where-there-are-no-doctors/

Where There Are No Doctors

The majority of the world’s poor live in rural areas where there is limited if any access to health services. Economic hardship creates such a fragile balance that lives can be shattered by even the most treatable of diseases...

My dream assignment is to use photography to inspire hope and change in places where there is little of either. As a doctor who has served in some of the most forgotten communities in the world, I have witnessed the entire range of human emotion as it relates to illness and disease. Without basic health, it is almost impossible to escape the cycle of poverty and suffering.

Can you imagine that there is ever a day in which a child with club foot or cleft lip does not dream of walking normally or smiling like those around them? There is so much that is contained in the joyful image of their first step or smile after successful surgery. Or, consider the bottomless grief of a mother losing a child to a preventable illness like dysentery. Death and impairment create a different but no less vivid image.

So many things in life motivate us – tragedy and hope, our successes and our failures, injustice and altruism. A single photograph can capture all of these things and, when it does so well, it educates and inspires, connecting us more directly to the world in which we live.

Over the years, I have seen the impact of my photography and its ability to stimulate dialogue, inform, and galvanize others into action. Personally, what I have witnessed has altered not only who I am and how I view the world around me but also truly how I lead my life. Some images have left such an indelible impression that they continue to inspire me even years after the event. I am enthusiastic that the Name Your Dream Assignment may allow me to share this with a wider audience.

I will spend a month during my dream assignment in rural Honduras, where I will document the interrelationship between poor health, inaccessible medical services, and the cycle of poverty. The collection of images and stories that is produced I hope will fuel a project with which I am currently involved and that will occur contemporaneously with the Name Your Dream Assignment.

As a physician, I have been involved with international volunteer medical work for many years. This project with which I am involved entails the construction of a health center/hospital in a rural area of Honduras where there is no reliable access to health care. The project is sponsored by MEDICO www.medico.org (Medical, Eye, and Dental International Care Organization). MEDICO is a dedicated non-profit organization that has had a long affiliation and presence in the country of Honduras and with which I have closely worked for almost ten years.

The entire $50,000 of prize money will be donated to MEDICO and combined with funds already earmarked for this project. I will underwrite my personal expenses as they relate to the dream assignment and my involvement in the planning and construction of the health center.

I would like to thank you for your time and consideration, hope you will cast a vote my way, and encourage you to get involved if this project inspires you.

Frank Duggan, M.D.

“The discovery of oneself is made concurrently with the discovery of the world around us.” – Henri Cartier-Bresson

Photos of my volunteer medical work can be viewed at:

http://frankduggan.smugmug.com

(Galleries: Volunteer Medical – Honduras; Volunteer Medical – Philippines)

Background

Rural poverty in Honduras is among the most severe in Latin America. Greater than half the population is rural and it is estimated that 75% of the rural population lives below the poverty line, unable to meet even the most basic of needs.

Malnutrition, infectious diseases and untreated medical problems are so prevalent that many Hondurans never know what it is like to be healthy and feel well. Chronic malnutrition affects over a third of all children. The problem is so serious that even the most advanced cases are often not addressed. Respiratory infections and diarrhea, treatable medical problems, are the number one killers of children under the age of five. Maternal mortality is thirty times greater than in the United States. Trained personnel are present in only 42% of all deliveries and prenatal care is almost nonexistent. In isolated area of Honduras, there are almost no physicians. In fact, more than a third of the population does not have any access to medical care.

Health Center Project Details

The health center/hospital will provide both inpatient and outpatient medical services. It will consist of a small inpatient medical ward, an operating and birthing area, dental treatment area, outpatient consultation area, pharmacy, and eventually a basic radiology suite. Housing will be constructed to accommodate staff and volunteers.

A number of factors will influence location; however, maximizing patient catchment area will be a central determinant. The physical plant will incorporate solar power, water treatment, and internet satellite capabilities in order to ensure self-sufficiency, sustainability, and 24/7 communication with a team of physicians in the United States.

The permanency of the proposed health center will guard the communities that it serves and limit their vulnerability to the suffering and economic hardship that is caused when illness and disease are left untreated.

MEDICO will provide project oversight and staffing.

Funding

In addition to the $50,000 prize money, all of which will be donated to this project, $30,000 has already been raised and earmarked through the Le Bal Masque fundraiser. Le Bal Masque www.lebalmasque.org was established in 2008 as an annual Washington, D.C. charity event in order to raise funds to underwrite this project. The second annual event is planned to take place in June of 2009.

It is anticipated that over $100, 000 will be available to begin construction of the physical plant by the latter part of this year. Equipment, supplies, and medications will be provided through other established resources.

Getting Involved

Ideas, comments, and inquiries may be directed to:

[email protected]

Donations can be made directly through the MEDICO website

http://www.medico.org/donate.php

Please indicate that you would like your donation earmarked for this project by placing Where There Are No Doctors in the comment section.

Thank you.

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40 Comments

willbaxter

Well, I can definitely suggest rural Nepal as a place to stop off on your journey. Voted for you. Feel free to return the favor. My project is to document issues in Zimbabwe.

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FatherJohn

Good luck. I voted for your dream. I believe in Pay it Forward, the Golden Rule, and affirming the worth of people and their dreams. Your dream fits well into my own ideals. My dream is about the Children of the World. Good luck.

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dcvip

Good luck Frank!!!!

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lucasbarth

great idea. I voted for ya, check out mine and leave a comment or vote too if you like it, good luck!

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sjanzen

Great idea. Your friends at JSM are getting the word out. Good luck.

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julioaceituno

My idea ca be related to yours. Sometimes there are no doctors to help people in Amazon, for example. And sometimes, there can be a doctor...but how can they work without medicines. I invite you to visit my idea. If you like it, please dgive me a vote or leave me a comment please. Thank you!!

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tlaborwit

Good luck Frank :-)

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alain911

I believe in you brother!
Good luck

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starla

Good luck Frank!!
You have my PIC. Please stop by and check out my idea... leave a comment and a PIC if you'd like.

I'm a photographer trying to change the world... starting with my community!

Take care!

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arteida22

Just voted! Goodluck Frank :-)

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abbyrouleau

Frank-you really deserve to win this! You are amazing. Love you. Beth

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BarakaPhotos

I favor any idea that gives a different viewpoint about diverse parts of the globe! Mine is working with children in a village in Afghanistan. Please vote for ideas that support global awareness.

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giveaway

Hey, Frank. Inspiring idea - you've got our PIC. We're fighting to stay in the Top 20 to get a shot at donating the $50k prize money to charities across the US. Please check our idea out and support us if you like it.

Thanks and good luck!

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earthdnc

privileged to help; thanks Mary Lynn

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mmaschi

I just voted for you Dr. Duggan and passed the email on to several friends.
Good job in fulfilling this dream. Maria Maschi @ CompHealth

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omahoney

Excellent idea - good luck Frank! I'll spread the word. Best, Olga

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mcloughman

Good Luck Frank!

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cschechterly

Amazing!! As usual. Good Luck!!

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susanariel

Good luck, Frank. All your Healthplex coworkers are rooting (and voting!) for you; I'll share with my non-work friends as well, who can pass up the opportunity to help with such a meaningful project.

Susan N.

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samanthawade

Good Luck, I will spread the word.
Sam

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chockema

I am a registered nurse and previous M.E.D.I.C.O. volunteer. Kudos to you for supporting this great organization. They do wonderful work. It was MY privilege to be a small part of it.
Thanks, Frank!

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seanwetjen

Nice work, Doc. You've got my vote. I will pass this along to personal contacts as well. See you at the Healthplex! -Sean

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lukyt68

Amie and I thank you much Frank!
Good Luck!
Tommy & Amie

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ronjohnson70

Frank, here in Madrid, far from the comfort of home, I send not only greetings but heartfelt congratulations and encouragement, and most of all my vote! Ron Johnson

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maritaemperado

Good luck.. Rooting for you all the way!

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mchhabra

Nice work. Good luck.

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mikeloveone

GOOD LUCK!!!

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butterflytmf

Good Luck Dr Frank!

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instudiox

I like your idea, check out mine and vote for me if you like it. Its about poverty and society in 3rd world countries and how they are controlled, devastated by their governments and western industrialized nations.

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raularmengol

Stay on it Frank...God bless you.

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msplaine

Hoping for you Frank!! Love, Meg

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HWARAN

GOOD LUCK!

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fgarzajr

Best of Luck Frank!! You the MAN!!
felipe

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hgolden67

Good Luck! What a great idea. We are lucky to have people like you. Hope to see you at Reunion. Hugh G.

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neelgarg

Good luck

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jangelashumskas

Happily support MEDICO.

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blsfull

What a great cause......All the best to you Frank....Much Luck & Love

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margeaux09

I believe in you and your ideas! Good luck!

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mwindisch

Interesting and worthwhile project - I voted for you - please check out an additional project that I like! http://www.nameyourdreamassignment.com/the-ideas/richs85/making-peace-with-the-world-peace-corps-at-50/

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EzWeb247

One more vote can't hurt! Good Luck Dr. Frank.

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