Clinic at Last!

WE HAVE A CELL PHONE!!!!! We are no longer isolated. (can you tell how happy we are). The cell phone stores finally opened up today. We can now call taxis, loved ones, heck even get pizza delivery. We are no longer isolated.

our number is 011-267-72690783

Incoming calls are free, so feel free to call, but remember we are 8 hours ahead of you :-)

So, like the title suggests, today was our first day at clinic. Things are relatively relaxed around here. The clinic itself is amazing. Well air conditioned, computer in every room, otoscopes/opthalmascopes in every room, a medical library, and we are currently sitting in a room with 12 individual computers with internet access. Thought I died and went to heaven :-) The patients come in the morning. No appointment times, just first come first served. They are usually all seen by 2pm (that's when the lab closes). They have a cumbersome computer system that tracks and keeps medical records. (offline system) They also give a copy of the record to the patient. There are no real medical records here. Sometimes patients show up with blue cards stating they were in the hospital, but doesn't state why... or gives bogus reasons ("pressure on pain receptors" - useless). Most of the patients we saw today were here for routine checks or had medication compliance issues. The clinic itself has 3 clinics. One is the national program, one is if you are enrolled in the Baylor study, and the other is for screening of HIV exposed newborns.

This morning we showed up to morning report which is much different than our morning report. It was basically a rundown of the latest admits and what happened. About half on the list had died. It was just unbelievable. A couple of the kids wouldn't have made it in the states either, but one child was admitted for diarrhea and the next sentence was " he died the next morning." Even though we knew stuff like that happened, Becca and I were still shocked. He was in a hospital. And there was no explanation given in report. One kid they thought had congenital heart disease, but they can't get an ECHO. so frustrating. Turns out most of the docs in the hospital are actually medical officers. That means they have completed a medical school and a transitional intern year of training. There is a wide discrepancy in the quality of medical officers.

We took a tour of the hospital later. They showed us the NICU and everything. I think Becca will disappear into the NICU soon. There is an adult medicine person managing the one ventilator, and I don't think she can handle that.

For all of our resident friends..
These are the things you cannot get here:
IV fluids with potassium
TPN - don't know how much potassium you will actually get...or other stuff for that matter
Sensitivities on cultures - you are lucky to get cultures
Ventilators - only one in the NICU
Dialysis - broke down over Christmas
Blood gasses
MRI - they actually laughed at that one
the nurses are not like in the states - no blood draws, no IVs, vitals only if you ask, no feeding patients/changing bed linens.....

Occasionally:
spoons
routine labs - they went on holiday with the rest of the country lately. no urgent labs...

Gotta run! Talk to you soon. Will try to upload pics tomorrow.