Schools and clinics

We finally had the opportunity to go help at some schools and a couple clinics. We drove about 9 hours north of where we live in Kumasi to a little village of Sandema. A fellow named Jonathan makes it a business to coordinate clinics in far out rural areas where access to health care is very limited. He contacted me through church and we were able to come this time. It is difficult to get that far away. What an experience. 3 doctors and a pharmacist came from Tamale teaching hospital to see patients. They would be waiting for a few hours to see a doctor. They were quite patient. Mostly what was prescribed were vitamins with iron and other "blood tonics" since their diets are so poor. Anything significant was referred to a bigger hospital some distance away. The first day Lynn and I helped take blood pressures at the clinic. What we mostly did was go to several schools and talk and teach handwashing as well as hygiene and puberty changes to older students. I had as many as 350 students standing outside in a courtyard while I talked to them about the changes going on inside! It was rather interesting. I guess my school nurse experience paid off :-) Lynn of course jumped right in the middle of some games with students. He played a few minutes of volleyball with older students and did some hopscotch and rock juggling. Also on the first day there were some drummers that came to the clinic while waiting for the doctors to arrive. They were singing and dancing while waiting. Lynn of course, joined in!

We had to greet the chief of the village before going to the clinic

This picture is from a market. I had to put it in for all those essential oil people!

Our church sent 4 medical people from the states to run a neonatal resuscitation class and newborn care. We helped put some kits together

This is a maternity bed in the clinc we worked in. There are no stirrups anymore. It is pretty antiquated

Imagine having to ride 30 minutes over a dirt road in labor in this motorcycle ambulance on a hard cot. They would have to kick start it to get it going and take a mother who is having labor and having difficulty to the next town where there is a bigger hospital

Teaching handwashing

While waiting for doctors to arrive for the clinic some musicians came and played their drums and flutes and danced. As you can tell Elder Wardle joined in!

We visited several classrooms and did our largest group instruction in the courtyard. School nursing at it's finest!