Access to Medical Care

It’s something that’s easy to take for granted.

If you or a family member get the flu, it’s likely you have supplies on hand at home to help alleviate the worst symptoms. If not, you probably have access to a vehicle and can get to an urgent care facility or even a hospital without too much trouble. And you trust that when you arrive, they will have the resources available to treat you. 

But in the most underserved parts of the world, this is not the case. And in places where the needs are great, the obstacles to providing vital medical care in those impoverished areas can feel even greater.

Problems that appear to have simple solutions are never as easy as they seem.

The Problem

This is the case on the island of Roatan, Honduras. Because of it’s location 40 miles off the northern coast of mainland Honduras, t’s expensive to get medical supplies to the island. Private hospitals are too costly for most islanders to afford care. Public hospitals are understaffed and ill-equipped, often lacking even basic medicines and supplies. It’s not uncommon for people to be turned away because appropriate care isn’t available. 

For example, there is no blood supply on the island because HIV/AIDS are common and hospitals don’t have the right equipment or enough staff to test for the disease or to take blood donations. It’s not uncommon for someone to bleed to death from less than severe injuries due to the nonexistent blood supply. 

A Family with a Calling

Gary and Suzy Loggins have called Roatan home for more than eight years. They came to the island with a clear calling from God to meet physical needs through providing medical care for those who couldn’t get it anywhere else. Suzy’s expertise is in ultrasound technology. For islanders, an ultrasound could provide a life-saving diagnosis. 

But machines are expensive and, like everything else on the island, must be imported, which is even more expensive. 

Permitting and paperwork can take months or even years.

Medicine isn’t readily available on the island and is costly.

Land also comes at a high price and the steep, hilly terrain can make construction difficult, if not impossible.  

After partnering with local clinics for years (in the hopes of one day starting their own clinic on the East side of the island), COVID derailed their plans. 

After COVID, Suzy considered returning to an existing clinic to perform scans. But the Loggins continued to have a burden for the people on the east side of the island (the poorest side), who had little to no access to medical care. They decided to dedicate their time and resources to finding a place on the east side.

A Solution 

As the Loggins had conversations with locals about their dream for a free-standing clinic, they crossed paths with a businessman who owned flat land and buildings directly across the street from the community of Milton Bight (where the Loggins have spent countless hours serving and have many existing relationships). This man also had a sick wife who needed regular medical care that wasn’t currently available on the east end of the island. 

Through many conversations, plans began to take shape for a building that could host multiple doctors, provide prenatal care, contain a pharmacy, and offer preventative care and wellness classes. 

The need was clear and the barriers felt insurmountable for many years. But in God’s timing, all the pieces started to come together. 

A Foundation for the Future

As of October 2023, the foundation has been poured for an east side clinic in Roatan! The building is ideally located on the main road that runs the entire length of the island and connects east to west.

The building will be complete and ready for set-up in January 2024. Short-term mission teams will help with set-up and bring donated medicine and supplies to stock the pharmacy. Once the set-up is complete, the clinic will open its doors to welcome patients who have no other place to go. Two doctors are already committed to seeing patients at the clinic. 

Thanks to the generosity of both local partners and donors from around the world, people will be able to receive excellent, loving care at minimal cost.

More Than Medical Care 

Even more than meeting physical needs, the clinic will give people hope. Scans can lead to an earlier diagnosis of treatable diseases and give people the opportunity to get appropriate care.

The clinic will also offer classes to aid in preventative care in the hope of improving the overall quality of life for residents on the east side of the island.

The clinic is a dream come true for the Loggins and an answer to prayer for the underserved community in Roatan. Our team at Humanity’s Friend is incredibly grateful to God for removing the barriers to provide accessible and affordable healthcare on the island. We believe it’s a huge first step to helping thousands of people with physical needs and also an open door to sharing the Gospel with the people of Roatan.