ProHealth Outreach, Malaria and no electricity!

 I got back last week from a 6 day medical and surgical outreach with an organisation called ProHealth. I hoped on a bus in Jos and was driven 8 hours South East to Taraba State, to a small village called Takum. We, 60 Nigerian doctors, surgeons, dentists, anaesthetists, nurses, lab techs, pharmacists and health promoters spent the next 5 days giving free health care, medications, advice and surgery to the locals.  I was placed on the surgical team to help out in any way I could and in the end learnt how to run an African operating theatre!

On day 1 the ‘OR’ team as we were called, had to set up the sterile theatres. ProHealth has a huge orange bus that carries all the equipment needed, so after some furious cleaning and draping of walls, by 12pm on the first day we were underway with the first surgery. The surgeries performed by the 3 surgeons included hernia and hydrocele repairs, appendectomies, lipoma and ovarian fibroid removals, and the odd circumcision and tumour excision. The surgeons were such machines; they just kept going and going, we ended up doing 115 surgeries in 4 days! It was hard work and after being out of the habit of shift work and standing for long amounts of time, 10 hours on my feet had me wilting in the corner. But the team I had the pleasure of working with made up for the fatigue with their joking, good-natured banter, stories and songs throughout the day.  

The rest of the team split into specialties and set up clinics in a health centre attached to the church we were partnering with. By day 6 I didn’t want to go home! I had met so many amazing people and formed such close friendships in such a short amount of time; I didn’t want to go back to reality.  I think having a shared passion for helping people through healthcare and having the same heart for using their skills for
God, really knit us all together.

One thing that was a bit weird was that I was the only white girl on the trip, and even though I am used to people staring and wanting to get my number, even on the trip I had people wanting to snap pictures with me on their blackberry phones (yes even educated doctors) some of which I had hardly spoken to on the outreach. It was harmless, and I obliged them, I guess, if that's what's going to give them credibility with their friends back home then I’m happy to help!

One of the low lights of the last few weeks has been not having electricity for days at a time. We’ve been without for 2-3 days sometimes. Usually it comes and goes, but lately there’s been trouble with a transformer at the power plant and we’ve had nothing. It doesn’t affect other compounds as much as Challenge because they all have generators, but because we usually have such a great supply, and battery operated lights (which die if not recharged in 24 hours); there hadn’t been a need. This may have to change! Everything I owned with a battery died on me. My phone, laptop, Ipod, my fridge/freezer defrosted and then water ran out too as our water pump needs electricity to pump! BUT one good thing came out of it, it was a real wake up call for me about how dependent I've become on technology as a whole, for communication, but for leisure time too. I felt totally out of touch with the world during those few days when I couldn’t email, couldn’t Facebook, couldn’t Google…. it was a challenge to find other things to do. The girls and I played board games because we had no light and no way to watch a movie and I read a lot more of my book than usual. Having to eat and prepare a mal by candlelight was a lot less romantic as it may sound. I’m sure it would be a lot more romantic when it' done by choice and not necessity!

Another low light was the fact that I've been ill with presumed malaria for over a week. It started as a bit of a queasy, gurgly, crampy stomach (which I put down to eating Nigerian food all week on outreach) which is what the start of Giardia feels like from much experience, so I started taking medication for that, but by day four I had a headache, no appetite, nausea and no energy, all I could do for 3 days straight was sleep and feel miserable for myself! For those of you that no me well, I’m not good at resting, so to not physically be able to do anything except sleep was such a frustrating condition. The intense lethargy is very characteristic of malaria on prophylaxis I was informed by the missionary doctor so started on Malaria medications. I’m feeling stronger every day now and am starting to venture out. My big outing today was sitting in line at the petrol station for gas for 2 hours. At least I had time to spare!

I had another dilemma last Monday at the prison. There was a young girl there who had been picked up for being out on the streets at 2am (not much other than prostitution that keeps girls out that late here in Nigeria). She approached me quietly after the bible study and told me her bail was 5000N ($30NZD) and could I get her out. Her trial is set for 1st Nov. I took her details and then on my way out of the women’s compound one of the prison guards told me I should leave her in the prison for the next 6 weeks until her court date because it may be her only chance to hear the word of God and for God to work on her so she doesn't go back to her old way of life. Since then I've prayed a lot about it and I feel that they're probably right. It just feels so wrong that IF I can do something about it, then I should. But I guess I have had to remind myself that I’m not there to bring reform to the Nigerian Justice system, it's not my responsibility to get everyone out, I'm there to share God with the ladies and encourage them in their faith. It is my prayer that come the 1^st of November this young girl may be at the point of wanting to leave her old life at the hotel and come to Grace Gardens (our home for ex-prostitutes) and start afresh.