Friday, April 20, 2007

Clinic Day 4-Reflections of a Traveling Doctor-Dr. Linda

Accompanied by Mwele, who lives in BML, and Jo, I was apprehensive at first since Carl’s trip, yesterday, was further and longer than planned (as you all recall!). We scrambled to get appropriate meds and examining tools for a non- mobile geriatric population in Bouchi. We set out through the village greeting everyone on the way. Mwele stopped to buy snacks for us, since yesterday we were worried Carl might have gone hypoglycemic. At the village end, we took a trail that led along the beach past beautiful rolling waves and fishermen mending nets. We took a small row boat across the river and headed for Mongoio. Jo was the boss so we followed his lead. The village had about twenty houses made of various materials- woven wooden strips with thatched roofs and some with cement walls and tin roofs. The village seems to have more space than BML. The first stop was at a home where an elderly grandfather had been struck on the head by a falling breadfruit about two months ago and had headaches and visual problems since. I tried to check his blood pressure but we had no BP cuff so Mwele ran a ½ hour back to the clinic to fetch it. He is a strong and friendly fellow. We continued our house rounds telling people at each house we could see one or two sick people but not everyone. People were very appreciative and cooperative. They brought wooden chairs with woven seats to let me sit while I examined the patients, borrowing from neighbors if they had none. We saw 22 patients ranging from grandpa with the concussion to children with otitis and infected scabies and some adults with Malaria. Cards were given to people to return to the clinic in BML for required testing and some prescriptions. It was a wonderful experience to see the people in their home settings. We managed to see those who needed to be seen and made it back in time for lunch.