About Roatán
One of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere, Honduras has a Gini coefficient twice that of most developing nations, reflecting an extraordinarily unequal distribution of its limited resources. Such economic inequities are amplified in Roatán due to a dramatic growth in tourism and an influx of Westerners over the last decade.
Roatán is a Caribbean island about 40 miles off the northern coast of Honduras. The largest of the Bay Islands, it is 30 miles long and 2 miles across. Roatán has immense cultural diversity; people of Hispanic, European, Garifuna, Caribbean, and Indian descent inhabit the island. In recent years, immigration from the U.S., Europe, and mainland Honduras has increased tremendously due to the growing tourist industry on the island. However, the majority of the patients served by the Roatán Volunteer Pediatric Clinic (RVPC) speak only Spanish.
Despite its beautiful beaches and world-famous scuba diving, Roatán still lacks modern infrastructure. The island has no sewage or water treatment facilities, and most of the island's population cannot afford to buy bottled water, electricity, or other daily necessities. Telephones are hard to find, although Internet access is readily available. As the nation’s smallest medical district, Roatán receives the smallest allotment of the government’s health care funding, even though an incredibly diverse patient population and 30-mile geographical separation from specialty centers on the mainland magnify its health problems.
Interns usually live in Sandy Bay, a native community where several medical contacts reside. Sandy Bay is about 15 minutes from Coxen Hole, the capital and home of the Hospital Publico de Roatán, where the RVPC is located. Coxen Hole is also home to the island's airport, largest port, banks, grocery stores, restaurants, and shops. West End, a scuba diving and tourist town, and West Bay, a beautiful beach area recently populated with upscale resorts, are also within 10-15 minutes of Sandy Bay. There are many other scattered barrios and resorts around the island, illustrating the dramatic social gap present in Roatán. One main paved road connects Sandy Bay, West End, and Coxen Hole to the rest of the island. Taxis, which often operate as "colectivo" or carpool rides, are the most common form of transportation for visitors.
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