Back to Africa

Well, it has taken me a week to post the first blog entry since returning to this amazing country.
I arrived in Tanzania at Kilimanjaro Airport on Monday night (February 5th). I was disappointed to arrive at night as I didn't get to do my 'fly-by' of Mount Kilimanjaro that was so awe inspiring on the last trip. Greg John (CACHA's man on the ground) met me at the airport and we went up to Kilema Hospital. Most of the medical mission group had already gone to bed...still getting over their jet-lag. The mission was to start the next morning, first stop Makomu Dispensary. I awoke quite early (jet-lag) and stepped out of my very rustic room to the most beautiful view of the mountain. The air is cool in the morning, maybe about 21 degrees celsius. The afternoon heat usually reaches about 30 to 33 degrees. We loaded the trucks and had a briefing and off we went....the site when we arrived was incredible. There were about 400 people lined up (remember this is 8:30am) , all in their colourful Kanga's, many with babies in their arms. We were all in panic mode...obviously the word had gotten out that the Canadian doctors were coming to do a clinic. The team worked well in setting up and we were quickly ushering people through. The heat rose as the day went on but not one person would move for fear of losing their place in line. They stood there all day. At the end of the day we had seen over 500 people. We didn't need to turn anyone away! Many of the people in line were 'well' (I am using this loosely). They really just wanted the chance to be seen by a doctor. It is their basic human right, even if they are not acutely ill. For those who were 'well', we prescribed a course of de-worming (more on that later) and gave a supply of paracetemol (like Tylenol) for their next fever (probably will be used for their next bout of malaria). Scott, one of the logistics people, who is a dynamic guy who works in upper management at McDonald's Canada aptly coined the term for describing the faces of those leaving our make-shift pharmacy area as the 'SMILE-O-METER'. The smiles on their faces after being given their drugs was unbelieveable...beaming is a better word. The meter seemed to rise in unison with the number of drugs they were taking home with them...antibiotics, anti-fungals, steroid cream for various skin rashes, BP meds, diabetic supplies. I was kissed, hugged, hand-shaken, blessed, prayed on...all day. The amazing thing was that although these beautiful people don't know it, I am getting back far more from them than I will ever be able to give. It renewed my faith in myself as a physician....I felt truly blessed to have spent the day there. I also felt a deep sadness for how little I was able to do for many of them as there is just no way to provide the care they need. Maybe someday things will improve...
More tomorrow on the next three days of clinics and pictures of what we saw.
Roman and the kids arrive tomorrow night. Jack and Hannah will meet their new brother, Malinga, on Wednesday.....I hope the meeting is successful.