Notes from Sunday April 8, 2012

 The Sonrise Clinic is now stocked with what we hope is about 6 months worth of medicine and supplies. 

 Medicines are used for babies and children who get sick and also for the staff.  Sometimes the nurse will give meds out to sick children from the nearby community as well although this isn't publicized as they do not charge for the nurses service or the meds.  It felt great to deliver a box that must have weighed 40 lbs full of medicine.  There are plenty of antimalarials, antibiotics, cold and cough meds, antidiaherria, deworming meds, testing kits, IV solutions for hydration, and much more.

As we've noted earlier these simple medications and someone to diagnose and prescribe are vital resources.  Not that long ago 'Baby Angel' died of HIV related causes. She was severely malnourished when she arrived at Sonrise only 4 weeks old.  Some of these meds will inevitably safe a babies life.  The total cost of the medications and supplies was about $700.

I often find myself in a position of giving medical advice despite not knowing much and having no formal training.  Yesterday my friend 'Michael' down at the railways cut open his finger as he was butchering a goat.  The gash was on his right index finger and was about an inch long, four millimeters deep, and bleeding badly.  At home this would be dealt with by medical professionals in a sterile environment, sewn back together, and the wound would be treated everyday.  Yesterday we poured water on the cut, then alcohol, then wrapped it in toilet paper that I carry with me for other purposes, then wrapped in packing tape.  Michael thought this was about as professional as it gets and figured that from here he would be fine.  It's anyone's guess what Michael's blood might contain.  Kids are playing around the area where the blood spilled, the soiled toilet paper blowing in the wind and all my first aid instincts are throwing in the towel because of the sheer volume of these sorts of incidents and just making sure that I kept myself safe.

To put this in context.  It wasn't nearly as bad as an accident we witnessed on the way to the wedding on Saturday.  Regrettably, we saw a speeding transport truck that was coming toward us knock into a boda driver and bicyclist killing both of them instantly.  I'm not too sure how to write about this one and perhaps I'll just leave it at that because it's not really something that feels right to write about other than to say that we were witnesses of this loss of life.