John Wesley Medical Boat

The Amazon region is one of the most impoverished areas of Brazil. While there is wealth and development in its capital Manaus, medical and dental service does not reach the majority of the population of this area. Most river villages only receive sporadic assistance and most major medical and dental needs must be filled in the capital that is often several days boat ride away. Preventative medicine is almost non-existent. The John Wesley Medical boat reaches thousands of people each year through Brazilian and international volunteers. These work teams travel to specific areas where help is needed. The local villagers know when the boat is coming and come by the hundreds to receive help. The boat has also sponsored training events in many of the villages taking professors and students from Methodist universities in Brazil to work with the villagers in preventative medicine and dental hygiene. The villages that the medical boat visits have little access to regular health care. If an emergency arises, family and friends try to take the person on a long trip to the capital for treatment. If the local person has “minor problems” such as skin infections or rotten teeth, they must wait until the problem becomes severe to receive treatment. The medical boat is a source of relief for thousands of people.