Medical Camp Sakwa: Friday, Day 3
Hi Folks,
This is Sue and Megan tonight. So glad to be back and connected online finally. We are back in Nairobi, everyone is safe and healthy. . .but we want to continue telling you all about our amazing experience at the Medical Camp! (and how amazing it was!) We each have so many stories and experiences to share, but to start out with, we will just sum up some of the big stuff.
With each day, we would review with the group one patient that demonstrated to us how God was at work in the medical camp. This short list touches on some of those examples we shared. We were able to treat thousands of patients for parasitic and fungal infections including nearly every child who walked through the gates. There were several children who stand out, a 10 year old boy with an infected wrist fracture that we were able to get to the local hospital for surgery which likely saved him from losing his hand. Another child that touched our hearts was a young boy we treated for second and third degree burns he suffered after an epileptic seizure caused him to fall into a fire. There were several adults that we treated for severe skin infections suffered as a result of the trauma working in the tea fields at the plantations. There was a 50 year old man who had suffered from polio and came in wearing shoes on his hands and dragging his legs behind him. We saw many things that are commonly seen in our practices at home, but in a population that has never had access to the basic healthcare of a simple doctor’s office visit. We also saw things that for most healthcare providers are only encountered in textbooks and may never be seen again. All of these things led to a truly blessed opportunity to minister to and help heal thse wonderful men, women and children.
At the end of the three days, our camp staff had logged more than 2800 patient visits!! Our amazing dentists, Irma and Kim pulled approximately 40 teeth each day. Each night, the word in the villages and towns spread apparently (that we were nice, god-loving folks and yes, it was free. . .) and so each day we saw bigger and bigger crowds. Also, we were able each to refine our “systems”. . learning how to most efficiently work with the translators, how to dispense medications quickly and how to put on our “field medicine hats” making quick decisions based the basic physical exam and clinical knowledge. It was amazing to see such incredible teamwork. Each person on the team, whether medical provider or core team member willingly stepped up to the many varied tasks of the camp. . .for example, Stephanie became an extraordinary dental technician, Amy served as the chief pharmacist and Gary and Dean served as the unbelievably patient registration team. It really is indescribable how God put each member on this team for such a specific purpose – we were a TEAM from the very first moments!
Stephanie served as Dr. Irma's dental assistant like she had done it for years!
Gary touched us all with his impromptu Bible study with the children in the middle of the camp.
Dean managed registration and Debra kept the Team serviced with whatever they needed
The Kenyans called Dr. John the Mzungu Giant! The ladies especially loved him!
The "Treatment" Center was uncovered and in the sun all day - Dr. Pete saw and treated patients all day as if he were in an air conditioned sterile room!
Sarah and Jeff working together in the pediatric tent. Some of the chilcren were terribly afraid of our white skin, but not this little one!
