It is not that I do not want to return to Ghana, but as I have explained earlier this year, God is leading me in a different direction. I still miss all my friends in Ghana so much and talk to many of them every week. Perhaps God will take my path back that direction one day. But for now, I am preparing for a new journey in Tanzania.
My new blog is www.cherylinchimala.blogspot.com. Please join me for this new work in Africa.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Being a "missionary"
Before I decided to move to Ghana, I had prayed for missionaries, enjoyed hearing about their work and sometimes wondered how exciting it would be to be a missionary. I can tell you now that I had absolutely no idea what missionaries experience.
When I felt God wanted me to go to Ghana to be a medical missionary, I was excited. I mean I was "All in" so to speak. I went with the decision full throttle and never had second thoughts. Today, I have no doubts that what I did was the right thing. I have no doubt that I will continue to work in Africa. But I will tell you that I have gained a whole new perspective on mission work and will be praying more for those who work in missions.
Over the last 18 months of my life, I have left my home country, family, friends and work to begin a new life in a new country, a poor country, where I had no friends, no family, no home. Over 11 months in this country, I made friends, felt like family in some cases and started a new life to only have to say goodbye to it all in the past week. I blogged about many of my experiences while I prepared for this journey and throughout my time in Ghana. I wanted to share my experiences with those who were interested. I wish I had done a better job of sharing those experiences.
But, as I look back over the writing I did, I find that I didn't always tell you when things weren't going well. I wonder why that was. I did share stories about the poverty and the kids...what work I was doing. But I didn't tell you when I was down or sad or feeling great frustration. Now I am thinking back over the years when I saw the videos about the work of different missionaries and when those missionaries came to speak to us. They shared the "good" stories as well. I didn't share any of the "personal" stuff with you because the mission was NOT about me. It was about the people of Ghana, about God and His Word...about how we were working together to make some small difference. But I will tell you that in my short experience thus far, I have experienced many emotional ups and downs. I am so thankful for all these experiences.
These "ups and downs" in a far away place helped me to learn to lean on God more fully. To remember that he was in control. They also taught me how much we need to support our missionaries. We need to send them encouraging letters while they are in the field, small surprise packages now and again, pray for their strength and well-being. I do not for one minute believe that I am the only one who just shared the stories about the work and did not share what was going on with me personally. There are so many things missionaries go through which we can not imagine and do not know about.
My re-entry to the states was very hard. First of all, I did not want the work in Ghana to end. I loved my work, the people, the country, everything....it was not easy living in Ghana, not at all. The adjustment was difficult, but so worth it. If I showed just one person how to love, taught just one person that they were important, helped just one person through a tough time or an illness...it was worth it. If God's love was seen in anyway by someone who had not experienced it before, it was a success. But the fact of the matter is...I left the states to do God's work in Africa. And now Africa is where I want to be.
As I said goodbye to my friends in Ghana this past week, it was so hard. I have missed their smiles, their love, their love for God. The students (young people) where I worked struggle from day to day. They are so hopeful for a better life. They have so little. Why was I blessed with so much? Why do they have to struggle so hard? God calls us, no...he commands us to help the poor and those in need. I cannot answer the "why" questions, but I can follow God's command. Each of us can follow this command....I want to physically go, others can follow the command by giving of time, money or other items as needed. We are all missionaries. We just all have different roles to play. I am praying for the opportunity to return to Africa soon to continue medical missions.
Over the last 18 months of my life, I have left my home country, family, friends and work to begin a new life in a new country, a poor country, where I had no friends, no family, no home. Over 11 months in this country, I made friends, felt like family in some cases and started a new life to only have to say goodbye to it all in the past week. I blogged about many of my experiences while I prepared for this journey and throughout my time in Ghana. I wanted to share my experiences with those who were interested. I wish I had done a better job of sharing those experiences.
But, as I look back over the writing I did, I find that I didn't always tell you when things weren't going well. I wonder why that was. I did share stories about the poverty and the kids...what work I was doing. But I didn't tell you when I was down or sad or feeling great frustration. Now I am thinking back over the years when I saw the videos about the work of different missionaries and when those missionaries came to speak to us. They shared the "good" stories as well. I didn't share any of the "personal" stuff with you because the mission was NOT about me. It was about the people of Ghana, about God and His Word...about how we were working together to make some small difference. But I will tell you that in my short experience thus far, I have experienced many emotional ups and downs. I am so thankful for all these experiences.
These "ups and downs" in a far away place helped me to learn to lean on God more fully. To remember that he was in control. They also taught me how much we need to support our missionaries. We need to send them encouraging letters while they are in the field, small surprise packages now and again, pray for their strength and well-being. I do not for one minute believe that I am the only one who just shared the stories about the work and did not share what was going on with me personally. There are so many things missionaries go through which we can not imagine and do not know about.
My re-entry to the states was very hard. First of all, I did not want the work in Ghana to end. I loved my work, the people, the country, everything....it was not easy living in Ghana, not at all. The adjustment was difficult, but so worth it. If I showed just one person how to love, taught just one person that they were important, helped just one person through a tough time or an illness...it was worth it. If God's love was seen in anyway by someone who had not experienced it before, it was a success. But the fact of the matter is...I left the states to do God's work in Africa. And now Africa is where I want to be.
As I said goodbye to my friends in Ghana this past week, it was so hard. I have missed their smiles, their love, their love for God. The students (young people) where I worked struggle from day to day. They are so hopeful for a better life. They have so little. Why was I blessed with so much? Why do they have to struggle so hard? God calls us, no...he commands us to help the poor and those in need. I cannot answer the "why" questions, but I can follow God's command. Each of us can follow this command....I want to physically go, others can follow the command by giving of time, money or other items as needed. We are all missionaries. We just all have different roles to play. I am praying for the opportunity to return to Africa soon to continue medical missions.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Two weeks of traveling...
Well the last two weeks have really flown by for me. Before I left Chimala mission, Dr. Ephriam and I made a follow-up visit to Mfumbi. We had given the children there enough medicine for two weeks and now it was time to check on the progress. I was so happy to see so much improvement in all of the patients we had treated. Of course, the treatment for fungus takes 4-6 weeks...so we gave out meds for another two weeks and actually treated another 20 or so patients. In all, we have treated more than 40 people at this village. I made arrangements for Dr. Ephriam to make one final follow-up visit on July 7th. At that time, hopefully we will find most of these patients are ready to finish up with their treatment. I am sad that I have to leave Chimala and will not be making the visit myself. I am praying for the opportunity to go back to Chimala one day and begin a mobile medical clinic and I know that Mfumbi will the first village on my list!
I left Chimala on June 19th to fly to Dar es Salaam which is the capital of Tanzaniz. I flew in a small single engine plane which had seats for about 10 people. The runway was gravel and dirt. But the view was fantastic. We only flew at about 300 mph, but I don't remember the height. I do know I was able to clearly see the ground most of the time. The only time my view was blocked was when we ran into rain and thankfully, that was for only a brief period of time. I must say you feel the "rock n roll" of the plane much more vividly in a small plane.
My plan from Tanzania was to return to Takoradi, Ghana in order to close up my flat and say goodbye to the many friends I had made while I lived there. In order to fly from Tanzania to Ghana, I had to fly through Istanbul, Turkey!! Crazy, huh?!! Anyway, my flight to Istanbul left Dar at 3:30 am on June 20th. Before I left Istanbul, I had a 4 hour lay over at their airport. Wow, it was a whole different whole from Africa. I guess I really didn't expect such a difference. The airport was like a giant shopping mall and food court. It was extremely busy...planes and people coming and going constantly.
I arrived in Ghana about 24 hours after leaving Tanzania. For the past week, I have been meeting with my landlord, moving furniture, visiting with friends and saying my goodbyes. Most things went very well and without much difficulty. However, I was only able to see about 60 or so of the students from OAVI to say goodbye. I met with a few of the church leaders of the Central Takoradi Church of Christ as well as a few of the OAVI school board memebers. It was very emotional for me.
This work was something I felt very strongly about. I had wanted to stay and work there for many years. I truly believe that many people were helped and taught good information during the one year I was there. I am so thankful for the time I was blessed with to reach out and spend time in this country with these people. I pray that the impact we (me and the people who helped me) made will last.
Anyway, that part of my trip to Ghana is complete, but my flight home is not scheduled until July 3rd. When I made the reservations I was not sure how long things would take in Takoradi. After 5 days, ia was done both with the business and emotionally. I have tried to get an earlier flight home, but the airlines are not too accommodating in that area....so I guess I will just have to spend a few days at the beach waiting for the 3rd to arrive. It is really a hardship.... :)
I left Chimala on June 19th to fly to Dar es Salaam which is the capital of Tanzaniz. I flew in a small single engine plane which had seats for about 10 people. The runway was gravel and dirt. But the view was fantastic. We only flew at about 300 mph, but I don't remember the height. I do know I was able to clearly see the ground most of the time. The only time my view was blocked was when we ran into rain and thankfully, that was for only a brief period of time. I must say you feel the "rock n roll" of the plane much more vividly in a small plane.
My plan from Tanzania was to return to Takoradi, Ghana in order to close up my flat and say goodbye to the many friends I had made while I lived there. In order to fly from Tanzania to Ghana, I had to fly through Istanbul, Turkey!! Crazy, huh?!! Anyway, my flight to Istanbul left Dar at 3:30 am on June 20th. Before I left Istanbul, I had a 4 hour lay over at their airport. Wow, it was a whole different whole from Africa. I guess I really didn't expect such a difference. The airport was like a giant shopping mall and food court. It was extremely busy...planes and people coming and going constantly.
I arrived in Ghana about 24 hours after leaving Tanzania. For the past week, I have been meeting with my landlord, moving furniture, visiting with friends and saying my goodbyes. Most things went very well and without much difficulty. However, I was only able to see about 60 or so of the students from OAVI to say goodbye. I met with a few of the church leaders of the Central Takoradi Church of Christ as well as a few of the OAVI school board memebers. It was very emotional for me.
This work was something I felt very strongly about. I had wanted to stay and work there for many years. I truly believe that many people were helped and taught good information during the one year I was there. I am so thankful for the time I was blessed with to reach out and spend time in this country with these people. I pray that the impact we (me and the people who helped me) made will last.
Anyway, that part of my trip to Ghana is complete, but my flight home is not scheduled until July 3rd. When I made the reservations I was not sure how long things would take in Takoradi. After 5 days, ia was done both with the business and emotionally. I have tried to get an earlier flight home, but the airlines are not too accommodating in that area....so I guess I will just have to spend a few days at the beach waiting for the 3rd to arrive. It is really a hardship.... :)
Friday, June 15, 2012
Community Health Clinic in Matebete
On Wednesday this week, I traveled to the Masai Village of Matebete with the Community Health Nurse from Chimala Hospital. The Masai are a specific tribe of people found in Kenya and Tanzania. They are usually dressed in purple and/or blue. Although, I do not profess to know a lot about them, I will share with you a little of our clinic day.
The purpose of these outreach clinics is to provide well baby and child check-ups. However, the Chimala Hospital only visits villages 2-3 times per month and therefore, only a few villages receive this care. The clinic provides newborn and toddler vaccines, weight records and a little health education for no charge to the people. I have been priviledged to ride along on the couple of clinics which have been held during my time in Chimala. (And for those of you who are counting.....no this does not quite add up. I have been here for 7 weeks and to my knowledge they have only gone out on 2 occassions. This would be an area in which we could work on improving...)
One nurse from the Chimala Hospital, myself and 4 nursing students were on hand to help with the clinic. A young lady, Anna, who has just moved to Chimala with her family also came with us to see what we do and take pictures. (Anna's father, Chad Wagner, is the new mission's coordinator.) All the children are weighed and have a health record which is updated. While the weighing is taking place, the Chimala nurse registers and provides a new record for any newborn babies since the last clinic was here.
While everyone waits for the weighing and registration to take place, there is time for playing, eating and visiting. The nursing students had brought some bubbles with them and so the little children played and learned to blow bubbles. Most everyone enjoyed the play time. A few of the young children, however, never did warm up to the white people.
After all the children have been registered and weighed, the vaccination process begins. The nurse quickly sorts through all the records of those who need vaccines. She groups ages together and calls them to line up. Some only receive one or two vaccines, while others may receive 3 or 4. The Chimala nurse shows the nursing students how to administer each type of vaccine and then she allows them to administer them for experience. The students really learn a lot this way.
This day was a day for me to watch and learn. I want to first learn how and what the Tanzanians are currently doing. This will allow two things to happen. During this time, I will built relationships and hopefully they will be stronger because of my interest in "their" processes. Second, it gives me time to evaluate and think about any changes or adjustments which may need to be made and take a little time to evaluate the BEST way to implement these adjustments in a helpful way. I have seen those who have come into a mission with a "Bull in a china shop" attitude and it has not worked very well. The "American" way does not always work best in places which are NOT American. I do not want to try to "change" them into the American way, but to work side by side and perhaps help educate them in some easier, better or more productive ways. But more importantly, I want to show them that we are all one, we are all God's children and as such we can work together for His Glory. Living every day, showing each person I come into contact with what being a Christian should look like. To show them love...peace...joy....kindness....compassion...self-control....gentleness and kindness in everything I do.
The purpose of these outreach clinics is to provide well baby and child check-ups. However, the Chimala Hospital only visits villages 2-3 times per month and therefore, only a few villages receive this care. The clinic provides newborn and toddler vaccines, weight records and a little health education for no charge to the people. I have been priviledged to ride along on the couple of clinics which have been held during my time in Chimala. (And for those of you who are counting.....no this does not quite add up. I have been here for 7 weeks and to my knowledge they have only gone out on 2 occassions. This would be an area in which we could work on improving...)
One nurse from the Chimala Hospital, myself and 4 nursing students were on hand to help with the clinic. A young lady, Anna, who has just moved to Chimala with her family also came with us to see what we do and take pictures. (Anna's father, Chad Wagner, is the new mission's coordinator.) All the children are weighed and have a health record which is updated. While the weighing is taking place, the Chimala nurse registers and provides a new record for any newborn babies since the last clinic was here.
While everyone waits for the weighing and registration to take place, there is time for playing, eating and visiting. The nursing students had brought some bubbles with them and so the little children played and learned to blow bubbles. Most everyone enjoyed the play time. A few of the young children, however, never did warm up to the white people.
After all the children have been registered and weighed, the vaccination process begins. The nurse quickly sorts through all the records of those who need vaccines. She groups ages together and calls them to line up. Some only receive one or two vaccines, while others may receive 3 or 4. The Chimala nurse shows the nursing students how to administer each type of vaccine and then she allows them to administer them for experience. The students really learn a lot this way.
This day was a day for me to watch and learn. I want to first learn how and what the Tanzanians are currently doing. This will allow two things to happen. During this time, I will built relationships and hopefully they will be stronger because of my interest in "their" processes. Second, it gives me time to evaluate and think about any changes or adjustments which may need to be made and take a little time to evaluate the BEST way to implement these adjustments in a helpful way. I have seen those who have come into a mission with a "Bull in a china shop" attitude and it has not worked very well. The "American" way does not always work best in places which are NOT American. I do not want to try to "change" them into the American way, but to work side by side and perhaps help educate them in some easier, better or more productive ways. But more importantly, I want to show them that we are all one, we are all God's children and as such we can work together for His Glory. Living every day, showing each person I come into contact with what being a Christian should look like. To show them love...peace...joy....kindness....compassion...self-control....gentleness and kindness in everything I do.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Follow up for Mfumbi Village children
Last Monday, we had several of the most severe cases from the Mfumbi Village come into the Chimala hospital clinic for further treatment. Out of the 13 we instructed to follow-up, we had 10 show up....which in all reality is a good turnout.
These two albino children are, of course, not treated too good by others. They also have many skin and eye problems. And as you can see by this picture, they are all too aware of the differences of their appearance. This little girl, Elisa, is cross-eyed in one eye, but she is able to see pretty well. The main skin problems right now are the burns, infection and fungus. We started both children on antibiotics and fungal shampoos. They were given sunscreen and a medicated cream to apply at night to help soften the skin. Mom was educated about these medications as well as the need to keep her children out of the afternoon sun and to wear long sleeves and hats. I am praying they look much better on our next follow-up at the end of this week.
This is a small boy of about 3 with a skin infection. Started him on antibiotics and antifungal pills, but by this time, we have run out of antifungal shampoo and there is no more in our area. We are hoping to find some in Dar Es Salaam this week.
This young girl was brought in because of the cyst you see in the above picture. However, when we shaved her hair what we found what much fungus among us....
Kind of an instance of "not being able to see the fungus for the hair". Sorry, poor attempt at a joke.
This young lady has quite a noteable "ring" covering the right side of her face. If my diagnosis is correct (I used a book with pictures and descriptions of skin diseases), this is a long-time, untreated ringworm/fungal infection. There is still hope that with treatment and time, her scarring will decrease and/or disappear.
There is one other story I would like to share with you, but I have no picture of this boy at this time. I am also embarrased to say that I do not even know his name. He came to the hospital at my instructions from Mfumbi just as the others did. However, his problem was a swollen left jaw. Without an exam, I was thinking tonsils or infected tooth.....Upon exam, we did not find any evidence of these problems. History was of long time swelling, hot to touch and really not much else. He was admitted to the hospital for further investigation. Unfortunately, the investigation led us to a diagnosis of HIV. The wonderful thing is that we caught it early, treatment has begun and his parents have received counseling. The bad thing is that often times, an HIV diagnosis can lead to people in this country being isolated from others. Often the one with the diagnosis is cast out of the family. This little boy is about 3 years old. He and his mother stayed at the hospital for one week. They were discharged today. I looked in on them every day while they were here and will, of course, follow up on them this next weekend. Oh, an I paid for the hospital bill. Want to guess how much it was? USD $26.00. Unbelievable!!
These are just the few stories of the children I reached out to in one small village. This past week was very busy with many, many other stories. I saw one young man of about 30 - 32 who came in with severe dehydration...so sick that he died within just a few hours. Many burns have been admitted to the hospital in the last couple of weeks. Some are very severe, third degree burns and most are children. Another big number of our cases are trauma cases from motorcycle/vehicle accidents. One young man on a motorbike hit the back of one of our PARKED cars. He lost a finger and had an open fracture of his lower leg. Today we had a young man come in with a snake bite to his right hand. And, let's not forget that in any one day, we deliver around 10 babies with unsually one or two being a C-section.
I love it here! They are in need of workers with more education. They are in need of experienced people to help educate them. Please pray with me that I will be able to accept this challenge and be a part of helping the Chimala Hospital and Mission.
These two albino children are, of course, not treated too good by others. They also have many skin and eye problems. And as you can see by this picture, they are all too aware of the differences of their appearance. This little girl, Elisa, is cross-eyed in one eye, but she is able to see pretty well. The main skin problems right now are the burns, infection and fungus. We started both children on antibiotics and fungal shampoos. They were given sunscreen and a medicated cream to apply at night to help soften the skin. Mom was educated about these medications as well as the need to keep her children out of the afternoon sun and to wear long sleeves and hats. I am praying they look much better on our next follow-up at the end of this week.
This is a small boy of about 3 with a skin infection. Started him on antibiotics and antifungal pills, but by this time, we have run out of antifungal shampoo and there is no more in our area. We are hoping to find some in Dar Es Salaam this week.
There is one other story I would like to share with you, but I have no picture of this boy at this time. I am also embarrased to say that I do not even know his name. He came to the hospital at my instructions from Mfumbi just as the others did. However, his problem was a swollen left jaw. Without an exam, I was thinking tonsils or infected tooth.....Upon exam, we did not find any evidence of these problems. History was of long time swelling, hot to touch and really not much else. He was admitted to the hospital for further investigation. Unfortunately, the investigation led us to a diagnosis of HIV. The wonderful thing is that we caught it early, treatment has begun and his parents have received counseling. The bad thing is that often times, an HIV diagnosis can lead to people in this country being isolated from others. Often the one with the diagnosis is cast out of the family. This little boy is about 3 years old. He and his mother stayed at the hospital for one week. They were discharged today. I looked in on them every day while they were here and will, of course, follow up on them this next weekend. Oh, an I paid for the hospital bill. Want to guess how much it was? USD $26.00. Unbelievable!!
These are just the few stories of the children I reached out to in one small village. This past week was very busy with many, many other stories. I saw one young man of about 30 - 32 who came in with severe dehydration...so sick that he died within just a few hours. Many burns have been admitted to the hospital in the last couple of weeks. Some are very severe, third degree burns and most are children. Another big number of our cases are trauma cases from motorcycle/vehicle accidents. One young man on a motorbike hit the back of one of our PARKED cars. He lost a finger and had an open fracture of his lower leg. Today we had a young man come in with a snake bite to his right hand. And, let's not forget that in any one day, we deliver around 10 babies with unsually one or two being a C-section.
I love it here! They are in need of workers with more education. They are in need of experienced people to help educate them. Please pray with me that I will be able to accept this challenge and be a part of helping the Chimala Hospital and Mission.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
The Children of Mfumbi
Last Sunday, I attended church at a small village located about 15 minutes from Chimala. As we entered Mfumbi, it was very apparent that this village was very poor. The houses were all mud and sticks. The children we saw as we drove in were noteably dirty and under nurished. I expected the number present at church to be small and it was. I believe there were 10 adults and 24 children.
The preacher of this small congregation led the singing and I was very surprised at the enthusiasm with which he sang. As I listened to this small group of people sing, I decided they wanted God to hear their praises loud and clear inspite of their small numbers. The singing was wonderful. Everyone sang out with "a joyful noise" unto the Lord.
There is a special way in which all the churches conclude their services in this area and Mfumbi was no different. At end of the service, as each person exits he/she greets all the those who exited before him and then joins the line and greets all those who exit after. As everyone leaves the building, we are left with a circle of family who have greeted everyone who is there. This is so great!
The children always catch my eye in a special way. They look so innocent and dependant with big eyes and smiles, and dirty faces and clothes. These children were no different. Some have never seen a white person before and you can see both their curiousity and fear. They will timidly reach out, but then quickly retreat. One girl in particular on this Sunday was both curious and yet afraid. When she first sat down in front of me, she was continuously turned so she could keep an eye on me. She just wasn't sure what I might do. She watched me curiously and occasionally she would slowly reach her hand out toward my foot or leg....a couple of times she quickly brushed my toe or knee. One of the other girls from our group sat next to her. The little girl slowly inched a little closer to her......her hand on the seat beside her....then touching her skirt....slowly touching her lap and then by then end of services she had reached out and touched her hand. She looked up at the white face with a bit of a surprised look on her face, as if to say "Wow, you feel the same as me".
As I watched all these children, it was impossible not to notice that many of them had "tineas capitis" (head fungas, ringworm). Some of these also had secondary skin infections. As we left the village, I knew I would have to come back. Over the last week, I purchased anti-fungal shampoos and medications along with a few antibiotics. I spoke with one of the Medical Officers at the Chimala Hospital and "volunteered" him to go with me to the village this morning.
So early this morning, I headed to Mfumbi with a Tanzanian driver and "doctor" to treat what I thought would be about 10 or so children. Ten was just a small scratch on a BIG problem. Within about 1.5 hours, we had seen close to 30 patients who had either "tineas capitis", skin infections or both. We had enough meds with us to treat about 15 for tineas capitis and 3 for skin infections. Because these people are so poor, traveling the 15 minutes by car to the hospital and getting treatment is not possible. So we made a deal with about 10 of the worst cases. If they will find a way to get to the hospital, we would treat them for free. I am praying they all come on Monday.
Some of these cases were so much worse than what I had seen last Sunday. It was overwhelming for the 3 of us. At one point, I noticed the driver standing off to himself looking out a window and wiping tears from his eyes. This is the work I want to do. I want to travel daily to these types of villages and help those who cannot afford to seek treatment. Over the last several weeks as I have spent time at the Chimala hospital, I have seen one recurrent theme......the patients do not come to the hospital until it is often too late. That is why people here believe the hospital is where you go to die. We need to reach out to those in need, provide them with early treatment and teach them how to care for themselves when possible.
The trio of us who went to this village today will return there again in two weeks to check on their progress and provide more treatment. Many of them will have to receive treatment for 6 to 8 weeks. I will be leaving Chimala after that next visit. I am praying God will send me back to Chimala in the near future to continue an outreach mobile medical clinic in this area.
The preacher of this small congregation led the singing and I was very surprised at the enthusiasm with which he sang. As I listened to this small group of people sing, I decided they wanted God to hear their praises loud and clear inspite of their small numbers. The singing was wonderful. Everyone sang out with "a joyful noise" unto the Lord.
There is a special way in which all the churches conclude their services in this area and Mfumbi was no different. At end of the service, as each person exits he/she greets all the those who exited before him and then joins the line and greets all those who exit after. As everyone leaves the building, we are left with a circle of family who have greeted everyone who is there. This is so great!
The children always catch my eye in a special way. They look so innocent and dependant with big eyes and smiles, and dirty faces and clothes. These children were no different. Some have never seen a white person before and you can see both their curiousity and fear. They will timidly reach out, but then quickly retreat. One girl in particular on this Sunday was both curious and yet afraid. When she first sat down in front of me, she was continuously turned so she could keep an eye on me. She just wasn't sure what I might do. She watched me curiously and occasionally she would slowly reach her hand out toward my foot or leg....a couple of times she quickly brushed my toe or knee. One of the other girls from our group sat next to her. The little girl slowly inched a little closer to her......her hand on the seat beside her....then touching her skirt....slowly touching her lap and then by then end of services she had reached out and touched her hand. She looked up at the white face with a bit of a surprised look on her face, as if to say "Wow, you feel the same as me".
As I watched all these children, it was impossible not to notice that many of them had "tineas capitis" (head fungas, ringworm). Some of these also had secondary skin infections. As we left the village, I knew I would have to come back. Over the last week, I purchased anti-fungal shampoos and medications along with a few antibiotics. I spoke with one of the Medical Officers at the Chimala Hospital and "volunteered" him to go with me to the village this morning.
So early this morning, I headed to Mfumbi with a Tanzanian driver and "doctor" to treat what I thought would be about 10 or so children. Ten was just a small scratch on a BIG problem. Within about 1.5 hours, we had seen close to 30 patients who had either "tineas capitis", skin infections or both. We had enough meds with us to treat about 15 for tineas capitis and 3 for skin infections. Because these people are so poor, traveling the 15 minutes by car to the hospital and getting treatment is not possible. So we made a deal with about 10 of the worst cases. If they will find a way to get to the hospital, we would treat them for free. I am praying they all come on Monday.
Some of these cases were so much worse than what I had seen last Sunday. It was overwhelming for the 3 of us. At one point, I noticed the driver standing off to himself looking out a window and wiping tears from his eyes. This is the work I want to do. I want to travel daily to these types of villages and help those who cannot afford to seek treatment. Over the last several weeks as I have spent time at the Chimala hospital, I have seen one recurrent theme......the patients do not come to the hospital until it is often too late. That is why people here believe the hospital is where you go to die. We need to reach out to those in need, provide them with early treatment and teach them how to care for themselves when possible.
The trio of us who went to this village today will return there again in two weeks to check on their progress and provide more treatment. Many of them will have to receive treatment for 6 to 8 weeks. I will be leaving Chimala after that next visit. I am praying God will send me back to Chimala in the near future to continue an outreach mobile medical clinic in this area.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The Chimala Hospital
The Chimala Hospital is a 120 bed facility. It houses an L&D ward, female ward, male ward and pediatrics ward. There is an outpatient department with 3 medical officers, a laboratory, surgery room, Community Health Center (which does ante-natal, post natal and well-child exams), central supply, pharmacy, x-ray and laundry. Once a week HIV patients are seen for follow-up care and counseling. Over-all a very busy place.
Having listed all the departments makes this hospital sound like any number of facilities in America; however, it is a far cry from the modern and technically advanced facillities you will find in the US. As I watch the staff and doctors working in this 3rd world hospital, I am reminded of scenes from TV shows like "Little House on the Prairie" and "Gunsmoke". Here we are diagnosing and treating with very limited testing and/or modern equipment. Doctors and nurses rely on their past experiences and basic assesment skills. The wards will have anywhere from 3-4 patients to 20 or more at any one time. There is no privacy with the beds only inches apart.
I have spent several hours in the L&D ward because in my 21 years of nursing I had never seen a baby born except on TV or video. I wasn't even able to see my own child born as I forgot my glasses and being blind as a bat could see nothing! Let me tell you some of the major differences I observed in this area. First, the expectant mothers walk themselves into the Labor room where they unpack the "linens" they have brought from home. Each patient must bring their own cloth to use for bedding and to clean up with as well as for the baby. The expectant mother must then make her own bed before she can lay down. Most people do not have "sheets" as we do for bedding. They bring a bag full of pieces of clothe. Each one is usually about 6' x 18' in length. They strip down naked and lay on the guerney awaiting the delivery of their baby.
No IV's are started for the "what ifs". You only get one of these for an emergency. Unless there is a problem with the mother and/or baby, the delivery is performed by a mid-wife. Doctors are rarely present for a routine birth. We do have the ability to perform C-sections if necessary and have actually performed several in the past couple of weeks. Once the baby has been delivered (which I might add is quite amazing!) and the mother cleaned up, mom is asked to get off the "labor" guerney and walk to her bed. The bed is again covered with cloth which the mother has brought with her. Chimala has been delivering an average of 300 babies per month and this is with an average nursing staff of four. However, the number of deliveries is really increaseing this month as the government has started a new program where there is no charge for deliveries in the hospital. This program hopes to improve the mortality rate for newborns.
The pediatric ward averages 475 patients/month; the male ward averages 400+/month; and the female ward averages 500+/month. If you will remember, when I listed the departments I did not mention a kitchen/cafeteria. The hospital does NOT provide meals for the patients. Outside the hospital compound is an area with space for about 20 fires. Family must come with the patients to the hospital and cook food for them. These family members stay as long as they have some one in the hospital. They sleep on the ground or on benches. They are not provided any "comforts" such as pillows, blankets, sofas to sleep on, etc.
Every weekday morning at 7:30am, patients, families and staff come together at a designated place and begin their morning with praise, prayer and scripture from the Bible. This devotional is not mandatory and yet the area is full every day. It is a great way to start the day with the sun just coming up above the buildings and everyone thanking our God for all our blessings and humbly asking for healing for those who are sick as well as for strength, peace, grace and mercy.
How many Americans would stay at the hospital to cook for their family member who was sick? How many of us would sleep on the ground with only our arm for a pillow without complaining? How many of us would work long hours without airconditioning? I think about the life I have been privileged to live and I think about the times I have complained about really silly things. If you live in the United States, no matter what your financial status is......you are rich. Please take time to look at all you have and Thank the Lord your God for blessing you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Having listed all the departments makes this hospital sound like any number of facilities in America; however, it is a far cry from the modern and technically advanced facillities you will find in the US. As I watch the staff and doctors working in this 3rd world hospital, I am reminded of scenes from TV shows like "Little House on the Prairie" and "Gunsmoke". Here we are diagnosing and treating with very limited testing and/or modern equipment. Doctors and nurses rely on their past experiences and basic assesment skills. The wards will have anywhere from 3-4 patients to 20 or more at any one time. There is no privacy with the beds only inches apart.
I have spent several hours in the L&D ward because in my 21 years of nursing I had never seen a baby born except on TV or video. I wasn't even able to see my own child born as I forgot my glasses and being blind as a bat could see nothing! Let me tell you some of the major differences I observed in this area. First, the expectant mothers walk themselves into the Labor room where they unpack the "linens" they have brought from home. Each patient must bring their own cloth to use for bedding and to clean up with as well as for the baby. The expectant mother must then make her own bed before she can lay down. Most people do not have "sheets" as we do for bedding. They bring a bag full of pieces of clothe. Each one is usually about 6' x 18' in length. They strip down naked and lay on the guerney awaiting the delivery of their baby.
No IV's are started for the "what ifs". You only get one of these for an emergency. Unless there is a problem with the mother and/or baby, the delivery is performed by a mid-wife. Doctors are rarely present for a routine birth. We do have the ability to perform C-sections if necessary and have actually performed several in the past couple of weeks. Once the baby has been delivered (which I might add is quite amazing!) and the mother cleaned up, mom is asked to get off the "labor" guerney and walk to her bed. The bed is again covered with cloth which the mother has brought with her. Chimala has been delivering an average of 300 babies per month and this is with an average nursing staff of four. However, the number of deliveries is really increaseing this month as the government has started a new program where there is no charge for deliveries in the hospital. This program hopes to improve the mortality rate for newborns.
The pediatric ward averages 475 patients/month; the male ward averages 400+/month; and the female ward averages 500+/month. If you will remember, when I listed the departments I did not mention a kitchen/cafeteria. The hospital does NOT provide meals for the patients. Outside the hospital compound is an area with space for about 20 fires. Family must come with the patients to the hospital and cook food for them. These family members stay as long as they have some one in the hospital. They sleep on the ground or on benches. They are not provided any "comforts" such as pillows, blankets, sofas to sleep on, etc.
Every weekday morning at 7:30am, patients, families and staff come together at a designated place and begin their morning with praise, prayer and scripture from the Bible. This devotional is not mandatory and yet the area is full every day. It is a great way to start the day with the sun just coming up above the buildings and everyone thanking our God for all our blessings and humbly asking for healing for those who are sick as well as for strength, peace, grace and mercy.
How many Americans would stay at the hospital to cook for their family member who was sick? How many of us would sleep on the ground with only our arm for a pillow without complaining? How many of us would work long hours without airconditioning? I think about the life I have been privileged to live and I think about the times I have complained about really silly things. If you live in the United States, no matter what your financial status is......you are rich. Please take time to look at all you have and Thank the Lord your God for blessing you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
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