NEXT!!

Monday


We arrived at the clinic today at 9:00. We did not know quite what to expect, or what kinds of things they would have us do, but we were ready for anything. When we walked up the steps there were more than 70 people in the waiting area. We immediately went into the pharmacy where things seemed to be slow. We offered a helping hand in dispensing medications. The most common medications given were: Paracetamol (Ibuprofen), Flagyl (Anti-Parasitic for worms), ACT (Malaria Treatment), and Amoxicillin and Ciproflaxin (Antibiotics). Among the medications dispensed, almost every person was given an injection of some sort and a seven day regimen of vitamins including B-Complex, Folic Acid, Ferrous Sulphate, and a Multivitamin. After a while of dispensing medications, Chelsea helped Mariama (clinic nurse) to diagnose patients. Diagnosing in Africa consists of writing down the symptoms and writing malaria next to it. The nurses rarely touch the patients (often they don’t even check their heart, lungs, or abdomen), which is different than what we are used to. By far the most common diagnosis was malaria, and then next to that it was some type of infection. Mostly, the nurses prescribe a broad spectrum of medications and send them on their way. The patients then stop in the pharmacy where they receive the medicines and the instructions for taking them. They don’t write out the prescription directions because many are not literate; instead they make slash marks for how many times a day a medication should be taken. After helping Mariama for a while, Chelsea then began giving injections to people. Theresa showed her how once and from then on there was a steady stream of people coming in the door to receive an injection. Because the clinic had been closed for several days, twice as many patients as normal were seen. We stayed until 6:00 until everyone had received their medicine.