Crippled by a stroke, this old man was forced to gather and burn wood for coal to earn his keep. There is no retirement in the Bateys. Even into their old age, workers must labor in cane fields to earn their keep.

 

Thousands of Braceros and their families, today, live in bateyes infested with diseases. The health hazards are caused by the virtual absence of adequate facilities to provide basic medical care - educational support to help prevent sexually-transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies - adequate diet to curb nutritional-related health complications - potable water to cause parasitic-infectious ailments. In an effort to control this alarming situation, BRA has been carrying out medical missions inside the batey communities.

 

 

BRA recently sponsored a team of volunteer doctors, nurses, and assistants, traveling from the U.S to the OZAMA Ingenio Naranjo batey. The purpose was to provide on-site, intensive, basic medical care to the workers and their families. The Dominican Republic's Health Department collaborated in the relief effort by providing volunteer doctors, nurses, and assistants.

 

 

The multi-lingual medical staff examined and treated more than eight hundred patients ranging from new-born infants to a ninety-nine year-old female adult. We provided care at no cost - ranging from general medicine, dentistry, optometry, pediatric care, to gynecology.