Mobile Clinic!
On Saturday Jocelyn and I went along with the clinic staff on the long anticipated mobile clinic. We set it up with them a few weeks ago to test out the backpacks we brought with us –the Diagnostic, Community Health Worker and Ophthalmology packs- and get feedback.
Phaeton, the town we conducted the mobile clinic in, was about a thirty-minute drive away on unpaved roads. Ever wonder how many people and how much medical supplies can fit in a Land Cruiser? One driver, two doctors, three technicians, two interns, three backpacks, countless bags, and a puppy on the way back.
Once we got to Phaeton, we stopped at the local clinic and set up camp for the day. There were already people waiting. Jocelyn worked with Dr. Lucien the ophthalmologist and I worked with the technicians. Dr. Lucien had performed surgery on many of the patients last month and the day’s clinic would serve as their post-op appointment. It was truly wonderful to see the patients express their joy over regaining their sight. Jocelyn said one lady even talked about how she was dancing now that she could see. The technicians and I used the equipment in the Diagnostic and Community Health Worker backpacks to perform tests and conduct routine check-ups. The most interesting moment of the day for me was when we performed a malaria test and (unfortunately for the patient) got to see the malaria parasite under the microscope. The day was very productive and we got lots of feedback from the clinic staff on how to further improve the packs.
While we were at the clinic there were two cute puppies playing in the yard. Dr. Lucien decided to bring one of the puppies, a cute little girl, back with her. She was a tiny, adorable thing and we got asked to name her! We chose to name her Malou. I think Dr. Lucien liked it because when we told her our choice, she smiled and said, “Malou-lou” to her new puppy.
Sunday was a strange day because it was my first day doing things on my own. Jocelyn was not feeling well. Pere Bruno conducted a small church service at the school, and Doug and I went. Then, Doug asked me to see if I could “drive” the Capteur Soleil. He wanted to test out the set of instructions he had written. We identified a few things that could be improved, and, a few hours later, we enjoyed some yummy steam-cooked vegetables. Doug and Jean left yesterday, and Jocelyn and I were sad to see them go. We really enjoyed their visit – from the card games and conversations to the shared understandings.