We are leaving Jos for the flight from Abuja because of it being Good Friday, a holiday and their is a slight chance of riots by Muslims on a Christian holiday. Despite ups and downs of trying to work in a 3rd world hospital it has been a worthwhile experience for me and makes me want to do more of this kind of work. One does get used to the cold bathes and lack of electricity and even seeing the garbage all over land the goats eating it. The dust , the heat and inability to get work done in an efficient way are the main frustrations. One appreciates the accountability we have in our health system. Of course this takes personnel and money to do that, which they don't have----but it also takes a different mindset.
The AIDS epidemic is overwhelming and so slow to control it, but unless we are willing to let a generation die, we have no choice. There are still so many questons as to why the prevalence rate isn't decreasing faster. It is multifactorial.
Anxious to see all of you. Hopefully I will have some time to add to this blog when I get back Thanks for sharing it with me and post your comments
Will
Friday, April 10, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Soon I will be home
After treating a young man with diabetic acidosis, I would say that Evangel
hospital's main problem is getting lab tests done accurately and promptly, having a chart that one can follow and having less patients for each nurse. We tried to get him in their ICU but it was full. I find if I talk to each nurse about my orders they get done more accurately. The chart is the old metal folding ones that we stopped using about 1972, because the sheets are loose and get lost and out of order. The doctors work hard to improve their standard of care but they can't or don't have time to correct these problems. The medical director told me he thought their lab has improved alot , so I didn't want to insult him with my assessment of the problems. It is so much more difficult to run an efficient hospital when , you don't have good phones, computers, records and ways to reach patients. I needed to make copies of medical information handouts for a presentation I gave. Both copiers were not working and they never know when the repairman will actually come, so I got a driver to drive back to Faith Alive , about a ten minuted drive to get these copied.
I will have given 6 of these lectures and the nurse's seem to appreciate them more than the doctors. Some are at 4pm in a hot stuffy room, so I'm not surprised to see eyes half open. I must always make the information pertinent to their situation---which means they don't use alot of our meds and tests and so telling them how we treat hypertension, diabetes and heart failure isn't as helpful as how they might use their resources as efficiently as possible.
As when I worked in Madagascar, I feel frustrated in not being able to do more. Working here again reaffirms that they need financial help and partners in their struggle , more than medical knowledge. But for us westerners to want to help, we almost have to be here to see their struggle. Hopefully, more of us will come , see and help.
It is getting dark so I must go
Will
hospital's main problem is getting lab tests done accurately and promptly, having a chart that one can follow and having less patients for each nurse. We tried to get him in their ICU but it was full. I find if I talk to each nurse about my orders they get done more accurately. The chart is the old metal folding ones that we stopped using about 1972, because the sheets are loose and get lost and out of order. The doctors work hard to improve their standard of care but they can't or don't have time to correct these problems. The medical director told me he thought their lab has improved alot , so I didn't want to insult him with my assessment of the problems. It is so much more difficult to run an efficient hospital when , you don't have good phones, computers, records and ways to reach patients. I needed to make copies of medical information handouts for a presentation I gave. Both copiers were not working and they never know when the repairman will actually come, so I got a driver to drive back to Faith Alive , about a ten minuted drive to get these copied.
I will have given 6 of these lectures and the nurse's seem to appreciate them more than the doctors. Some are at 4pm in a hot stuffy room, so I'm not surprised to see eyes half open. I must always make the information pertinent to their situation---which means they don't use alot of our meds and tests and so telling them how we treat hypertension, diabetes and heart failure isn't as helpful as how they might use their resources as efficiently as possible.
As when I worked in Madagascar, I feel frustrated in not being able to do more. Working here again reaffirms that they need financial help and partners in their struggle , more than medical knowledge. But for us westerners to want to help, we almost have to be here to see their struggle. Hopefully, more of us will come , see and help.
It is getting dark so I must go
Will
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Too Busy to Blog
Time is going fast and even though I live alone I have been invited for supper a few times,which helps. I was excited this Sat am bec I had electricity and didn't have to bathe by candlelight---so I also washed my clothes in the bathtub----what did people do before soap? IT is very rewarding to see all that dirt and dust come out of my clothes.
Soon electricity went off and I was reading by candlelight at noon bec this house has so little natural light.
Exciting News!! It just started raining ----haven't had any since Nov. A driver said he has to drive 30 min each am to get water from his pastor bec his well had dried up. Hope this settles the dust---locals say one rain is worse than none bec it isn't enough to get rid of the dust---just makes it humid.
Looking for a good investment? A doctor I work with needs a capital partner to expand his hospital which he owns. The banks don't make those loans so he asked if I knew of any organization or person who would like to partner with him. This will offer state of the art medical care and testing. He only needs $500,000. Give me your name before I leave so you don't miss out on this opportunity !!
I was invited to go with a group of Americans on an outreach. A Christian group here in Jos reaches out to street people, blind people and the poor. Instead of going to the Blind Town as planned the men went to "Bad Boys" which is a slum area where alot of alcoholics and drug dealers hang out and make their brew---Goscola. The plan was to minister to them and the Jos Christian leader of the outreach group then had us hand out Christian tracts, tell them about Jesus and pray for and with them. I had a hard time not laughing at these events----most of the people I approached wanted the pretty blue tracts and were quite enebriated sp? with slurred speech and rambled on and on about the fact they knew Jesus but what they said didn't make much sense. One wanted me to pray that he would pass his secondary school exam. He had his alcohol problem for many years. The image of these tin shacks, the brewing of the goskola , all the smoke from the charcoal fires, the dirt and the drunks will not be forgotten.
Who knows? Maybe people are more receptive to the gospel when they are a little "tipsy"?With that in mind Jim Linden will be having a revival meeting April 24 when I get back with his goskola!!
Actually this outreach group does sponsor an Alcoholics Anononymous group for these people which is prob the most effective way to approach their problems.
Last Sat, 1 week ago, I sponsored a trip where 6 of us went to Yankari Game Reserve. I mean't pay for part of it ,but ended up with 90% of the bill through some miscommunication and assumption by them of me "sponsoring " which means paying for it. We were to leave at 6:30 am No one was there then so I had to go wake up the driver and then heard alot of excuses from the older staff docs from Evangel Hosp that they couldn't go. Then I was told that housestaff docs wanted to go but they had to tidy up or finish rounds, but they would be there soon. By Nigerian time this meant that we didn't leave till 8:20 and the driver then felt he had to go 140km or 90 mph in this old peugot. We saw some Wildebeest, baboons which are relentless pests, warthogs and distant elephants. The hot springs were the best. Thankfully we made it home safely. Sorry if I already reported this.
All for now,
Will
Soon electricity went off and I was reading by candlelight at noon bec this house has so little natural light.
Exciting News!! It just started raining ----haven't had any since Nov. A driver said he has to drive 30 min each am to get water from his pastor bec his well had dried up. Hope this settles the dust---locals say one rain is worse than none bec it isn't enough to get rid of the dust---just makes it humid.
Looking for a good investment? A doctor I work with needs a capital partner to expand his hospital which he owns. The banks don't make those loans so he asked if I knew of any organization or person who would like to partner with him. This will offer state of the art medical care and testing. He only needs $500,000. Give me your name before I leave so you don't miss out on this opportunity !!
I was invited to go with a group of Americans on an outreach. A Christian group here in Jos reaches out to street people, blind people and the poor. Instead of going to the Blind Town as planned the men went to "Bad Boys" which is a slum area where alot of alcoholics and drug dealers hang out and make their brew---Goscola. The plan was to minister to them and the Jos Christian leader of the outreach group then had us hand out Christian tracts, tell them about Jesus and pray for and with them. I had a hard time not laughing at these events----most of the people I approached wanted the pretty blue tracts and were quite enebriated sp? with slurred speech and rambled on and on about the fact they knew Jesus but what they said didn't make much sense. One wanted me to pray that he would pass his secondary school exam. He had his alcohol problem for many years. The image of these tin shacks, the brewing of the goskola , all the smoke from the charcoal fires, the dirt and the drunks will not be forgotten.
Who knows? Maybe people are more receptive to the gospel when they are a little "tipsy"?With that in mind Jim Linden will be having a revival meeting April 24 when I get back with his goskola!!
Actually this outreach group does sponsor an Alcoholics Anononymous group for these people which is prob the most effective way to approach their problems.
Last Sat, 1 week ago, I sponsored a trip where 6 of us went to Yankari Game Reserve. I mean't pay for part of it ,but ended up with 90% of the bill through some miscommunication and assumption by them of me "sponsoring " which means paying for it. We were to leave at 6:30 am No one was there then so I had to go wake up the driver and then heard alot of excuses from the older staff docs from Evangel Hosp that they couldn't go. Then I was told that housestaff docs wanted to go but they had to tidy up or finish rounds, but they would be there soon. By Nigerian time this meant that we didn't leave till 8:20 and the driver then felt he had to go 140km or 90 mph in this old peugot. We saw some Wildebeest, baboons which are relentless pests, warthogs and distant elephants. The hot springs were the best. Thankfully we made it home safely. Sorry if I already reported this.
All for now,
Will
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