Jayproken

This morning I made the walk with Karnie, a very talkative, outgoing, intelligent nurse anesthetist who was hired by ARC to be a nurse in the ETU.  We made it in 2 1/2 hours.  It is great having young legs pull me along.  We arrived at the clinic before the first patient was seem though after they had begun to gather.  We got another tour of the clinic which included a lot of detail of what they need.  Solar panel for the frig and other electricity, new covers for the incinerator, latrine upgrade, and a well.  All were real needs.  Then they showed us how inadequate their baby scale was.  They have the actual scale mechanism which is suspended from a wooden tripod.  The baby sits in a canvas seat like a kids swing.  I was with them on everything else but when I saw the scale situation I couldn't believe they would ask for that.  A new one could easily be contracted in a short time with almost no resources.  I should have taken a picture.  I will next visit.  It was a ludicrous request- such an easy fix for anyone there.  We may actually be able to get some of the other things done.  AND....the USAID said they have a portable bore hole digger they may bring here for our water.  Now my simple, hopeful and naive brain sees an incredible opportunity here.  The road to Jayproken is not passable for anything much bigger than a motorbike and certainly not for a well drilling machine, but there is a soccer field right next to the clinic that a helicopter could surely land on.  Why not drill two?  I know, I know....pipe dreams.  Still no one can say yes if the question isn't asked.  

The PA didn't show up until after 11, so, after the clinic was opened with a reading from Galatians and a prayer, Karnie and I began to see patients.  I am becoming a master at the rapid malaria test and the Depo shot.  The two big issues with providers here so far is the gross over use of amoxicillin and the gross underuse of physical examinations.  Those are my two educational goals for this clinic.  We go back Wednesday which is a busy day- tons of pregnant women.  I will be a master at measuring fundal height very soon.  One crazy frustrating thing today- a teacher at the school came in with headache.  His BP was 170/100.  This was a consistent reading with his past history.  In the past he had been given a short course of methldopa and followed up in a month.  No surprise that his BP was up at each visit.  Karnie and I agreed the man needed chronic meds but the only hypertension med the clinic ever has is hydrochlorathizide and they were all out.  We gave him Tylenol for the headache and aspirin for th blood thinning properties.  Such a cheap, simple treatment unavailable.  Sad.

I look forward to returning on Wednesday.  Tomorrow we head to a clinic on the road about 1 1/2 hours away.  I do not look forward to bumping up and down that road.