DR JOHN

 Dr John arrived in Utila twenty years ago, hungry for a nice break from practicing medicine in the USA.  As with most visitors I speak to, he heard about this small island from a friend of a friend and liked the idea of an off beaten path where no one would know him. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio and attended medical school in Kansas City, he became disillusioned with medical care and life in the USA.

Upon arrival to Utila, for a diving vacation, he discovered that Utila had never had a resident doctor on the island.  He made a life changing decision right then, to stay and become the resident doctor.  He was also attracted to the Flor de Cana rum served everywhere, the reggae music and the out of the way tourist that back packed through the area.   

Previous to his arrival there was a local nurse, Ester, who ran the small health clinic. She took care of delivering most of the babies and tending to any emergencies.   When I would visit the island in the 80’s I would always bring my eye charts and eye equipment and volunteer a few mornings at the clinic looking at all the eye problems on the island.

About 15 years ago I was on the island diving and around 11:00 pm one of the Australian diving tourist rode up to Trudy’s on a bike, hit a rock, flipped over the handle bars and cut his chin deep and wide on a rock.

I had passed by one of the local bars called “Coco Loco” just about an hour before for a drink and saw Dr. John literally hanging from the rafters like a monkey singing and swinging to the music.  From what I recall he was in a contest with the song “Roxanne” where you have to chug rum every time, they say Roxanne. He was totally drunk and out of his everlasting head as was the case most nights.

I grabbed a towel for the bleeding chin and called out to one of the other tourists to run to Coco Loco and tell Dr. John to meet me at the clinic. I decided he might need an assistant to remind him to glove up, sterilize the equipment and oversee the procedure of stitching up his chin, I realized he was in no condition to perform this task alone.

To my shock and surprise as soon as he walked into the clinic, the drunk switch turned off, the doctor switch turned on and he performed a perfect, sterile, beautiful job of putting that chin back together. Then headed back to Coco Loco for more singing and swinging.

He no longer practices medicine on the island, I beleive the community eventually asked him to retire, but he will talk to people about their medical problems after 2:00 pm.  He makes it clear he will not give medical advise, but will listen and ask questions. He lives in a shocking pink house with limited furniture, no stove no micro, a small fridge, bed and punching bag. He states that he only eats processed food from a can or package. Interesting!!

I went for a visit and he told me he has been clean and sober for 8 months now. He chained smoke the entire hour we talked. I am told by many locals that he was the best doctor, well also the only doctor the island ever had. They claim he saved many lives by advising treatments, and at times advising against unnecessary surgery or medication that is often prescribed on the mainland in La Ceiba. Story is he was at a bar one night and he over heard someone talking about going into to La Ceiba the next day to get his appendix surgery stiches out. He said ” Lay down here on the bar, I ‘ll just take them out now and save you the trip”. And he did- with the same knife they were cutting the lime wedges with-after sterlizing it with rum!

At Christmas dinner several locals came by to eat with us and they still talk about him.  One local in his heavy Utilan accent said” Yeh, he the best doctor Utila ever have, he tell you “go Ceiba”, you better go Ceiba or you gonna  diiieee!  Emphasizing the word die.

Dr. John has become a sort of celebrity and people travel in from the main land to have an opportunity for a photo and just to sit with him, he claims he gives off good energy and people come just to sit and soak in his “good vibrations”.  He even sells T shirt that say Dr. John Utila in bold pink letters. He is very proud of his new found celebrity status. After an hour-long conversation, I must admit I began to wonder if there was more than tobacco in those cigarettes.

You can see more of him in few YouTubes, one called “If you come to Utila”:https://soundcloud.com/martyandginski – watch at your own risk!!