Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country that thrives on tourism. However, most of the country is filled with poverty. Many of the people come from Spanish descent, so the dominant language is Spanish and a large percentage of teh population is Roman Catholic. Their flag flies an image of the Holy Bible, but sadly that is not reflected throughout the country. The Luke Society Hospital was established with the intent of serving the poorest people in the country. It focuses on the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the people.
- Medical Care
Luke Society Hospital
In 2005, Rick and Jackie Elgersma travelled to the Dominican Republic with a work team from their church (the Dunnville URC) to begin construction on the Luke Society Hospital. In 2012, Word & Deed began partnering with this grassroots committee and the Sociedad Lucas to see the construction to its completion. Today, Word & Deed continues to support the hospital by providing for a portion of their operating costs. This hospital began with the vision of Dr. Silvia Martinez (Director of the Sociedad Lucas) to build a hospital for a community of people who couldn’t afford medical services and the staples of life. Her vision included sharing the gospel of Christ with those who entered the hospital doors. The construction of this hospital was completed in 2015 and operations began on March 6, 2015. It is two floors and includes a pharmacy, lab centre, emergency services, semi-private rooms and rooms for ultrasounds, examinations, dentistry, operations, and labor and delivery. Eventually, both inpatients and outpatients will have access to various specialty surgery services, but in these first years of operation the hospital is providing medical consultations, a pharmacy, and daytime emergency services. In the coming years, additional services will be added. The purpose of the hospital is to provide holistic care which focuses on spiritual, physical, and emotional needs. It serves an area of over 100,000 people in five communities. There are several social classes that can be served in this area, so our partners see a wonderful opportunity to become self-sufficient in time. A container of medical equipment, that Word & Deed helped fund, arrived in January 2018 including surgery lights, an ultrasound machine, scopes, beds, incubators, sterilizer machines, an electro cardio machine, monitors, OR lights, and surgical instruments. This new equipment allows the hospital to offer additional services. Patients and their families continue to respond to the good news of the Gospel. Some have come to the Lord and are attending church regularly.
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