Clinic in Nuevo Era

All clinics are the same similar process. We pack up, we load the truck, we find our destination, we search the town for tables, chairs, and benches, we set up medical pharmacy, consult, triage, set up glasses, and set up dental. After we are all set up we hand out tickets. Tickets 1-80 usually sometimes more and sometimes less. Then we check if there are any emergencies ( high fevers, chronic diarrhea, vomiting), then we send them in to get their information, then triaged, then if they aren’t diagnosed with the common parasites or the need of vitamins and sent to pharmacy to pick up their medication, they are sent to the doctor. Doctor sees them, diagnoses them then sends them my way where I fill out their order of medication from either one medication to eight medications.

This sounds like an easy process and actually it has become much like clock work as someone had pointed out. If all I stated was the facts of how things are run, you would never know how the people of Peru have impacted my life. Being the last clinic as a team in Peru, I have been greatly impacted and my eyes have been opened to some of the hearts of these Peruvian people.

This clinic we were in a place called Nuevo Era in a Shipibo village. We saw the most abnormal cases this week. Everyone had major diarrhea, vomiting, and tons of fevers. There were 40.1 and 39.5 fevers every day. Our patient load would jump up to the 90’s because we would have to pass all the emergency fevers that walked in.

The mornings were crazy! We were sleeping in tents on top of our clinic house platform and around six in the morning people would start showing up. They would some would stand on the platform and watch us white people sleep. We are such interesting creatures aren’t we. Then as the days went on, the people started coming around four in the morning. Our tents were rather close to the edge of the house where people loved to sit which resulted in some of our heads being sat on through the tent. We finally go up at six and handed out tickets one morning because it had started to rain. People are rather sneaky. I would give them a ticket then they would jump back in line and try to get another one. Which led to me getting very frustrated especially after being woken up by clustering people so early in the morning. After we handed out tickets, triage and consults would happen. Doctor had to work mornings so Jenni would try and give out medication to as many as she could and tell the ones that she couldn’t to come back at a later time to see the doctor. This worked rather well but a little stressful as well.

Pharmacy was rather busy all day. We had baby Hector sleeping in the back who often wanted to sleep but even more often wanted to eat and be held. I of course am a sucker for crying and would have to pick him up even if he had just been fed, burped, changed and was still crying. Often times this resulted in me holding baby and picking up and filling orders with baby in my arms. The patience would offer to help us by holding the baby but I didn’t think about that to longs and nicely said no thanks.

One blessing that we had this week was Brent’s family. It was really nice to have not only visitors but visitors who jumped in and helped out with clinic. Brittany was an amazing Spanish learner and called all the numbers, names, and could communicate enough to get them on the scale and to get their height. Jane, Brent’s mom, did all the blood pressures, temperatures, and she and Brittany worked as a good team doing registration and when they were done we were thankful for the extra hands to hold Hector. Brent’s dad took amazing pictures of pretty much every aspect of clinic and I can’t wait to see them.

A few things that stood out this clinic

-Little Cindy who had terrible fevers and came three different times for her painful shot. She was such a sweet, obedient, and patient little girl.
-Getting the truck stuck in a ditch.
-Early wake ups by eager patients.
-The crazy lady. Everyone had a hard time telling her what her medications were because it was just too funny to hear what her questions and comments were. Especially with clotramazol ovules.
-Kristen’s comments at the end of the day with glasses.
-Precious baby Hector who always brightened my day in pharmacy. Sometimes made it a little more stressful.