On March 29, 2025, the Adventist Deaf Ministry (MAS) of the South Central Chile Conference (ACSCh) organized a historic free medical outreach exclusively for the deaf community in the city of Concepción, south-central Chile. The initiative marked a significant milestone, as it was the first event of its kind—across both public and private sectors—specifically dedicated to serving the deaf population in the country.
According to Chile’s Third National Study on Disability, more than 712,000 people in the country experience some degree of hearing loss, and an estimated 179,268 are completely deaf. While national law promotes the use of sign language in education, healthcare, and public services, “most public institutions lack qualified interpreters to ensure effective communication with the deaf community.”
“Seeing this need, God placed in my heart the desire to carry out a medical operation exclusively for them, and for each health professional to have a sign language interpreter,” said Claudia Poloni, MAS coordinator for the South Central Chile Conference.
The event was made possible through the participation of 25 healthcare professionals, most of whom responded to a volunteer call posted by MAS on social media. Others were members of APROAS (Association of Adventist Healthcare Professionals), known for promoting a healthy lifestyle and providing care to underserved communities.
In total, 173 medical services were delivered in areas including dentistry (evaluations and cleanings), general medicine, kinesiology, nutrition, psychology, podiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics, speech therapy, massage therapy, and even veterinary care.
Each step of the operation—from pre-clinical health checks to patient consultations—was supported by 32 sign language interpreters, facilitating clear communication throughout.
“Showing God’s love through service” was the motto of the operation, which aimed to both meet immediate health needs and raise awareness of the barriers the deaf community faces in accessing basic services like healthcare.
Despite the ambition of the project, Poloni said the vision started with very little. “I had nothing to begin with, just the desire God placed in my heart and the will to serve.” After sharing the idea with MAS members, a 15-person planning team was formed, including 10 sign language facilitators and five deaf members.
“As we progressed, God provided us with everything we needed. First, the location, the resources, the professionals, etc. God brought them,” she added.
At the end of the event, MAS presented the book Steps to Christ to non-Adventist healthcare professionals and interpreters who had supported the outreach.
This initiative, organizers say, is a powerful example of “inclusion, selfless help, missionary service, and spreading God’s love—a love that inspires us to serve those in need.”
“We give glory to God for allowing this feat,” Poloni said. “And as a MAS team, we long for this action to be replicated in other areas of the Chilean Union.”
MAS is one of nine branches of the Adventist Possibility Ministries (APM) in Chile. Its mission is to ensure that people of all abilities are integrated into every area of church life by adapting programs, activities, and structures to meet their needs and uniqueness.
The original article was published on the South American Division Spanish news site. Join the ANN WhatsApp Channel for the latest Adventist news.
