Getting out of bed is like jumping into ice water with a fever. Mallorie, my roommate, and I got a room on the side of the building that doesn't really see the sun very much thinking that we would be able to handle it. We are handling it, but we definitely miss heaters and heated places.
I am stationed at Kanye Main Clinic. On the way there, the fresh, crisp winter air + nasty smoke and fog fill our lungs. People here burn their trash. As we drive down the hill, you can see the smoky haze rising from each household. While walking by, smells alternate between burnt plastic, rubber, trash and smog from unregulated car exhausts, and of people not showering. For those of you who went to Haiti, it's the same body odor. They do not have a regular or well established waste collection system. People throw trash everywhere.
The clinic was freezing, too! Heaters are definitely uncommon here.
Nobody washes hands: not between patients, not after touching specimens, not after injections or wound dressings. If they do wash hands, it's only with water. No soap. The only time I saw someone wash hands with soap was after a midwife inspected a patient that was menstruating (she was wearing gloves of course). During wound care, they also wear gloves, but otherwise, they don't really use gloves either.
The government pays for all healthcare needs, to my understanding, with the exception of rare and expensive procedures. People get their HIV meds, hypertension meds, and give birth to babies all for free. The recent strike is causing a huge inconvenience for the people. Health care workers at the clinic I am stationed at are only conducting work within their scope of practice (before, they used help with the phlebotomist, pharmacist, and the lab techs) so that the government knows that they are underpaid. Patients that take a trip come a long ways with injuries and illness seeking medications that the nurses refuse to dispense because it is not "within their scope of practice". Or the nurses will not draw blood even though they know how to because that is technically only what MDs or phlebotomists can do. In turn, the doctor ends up having to do many consultations and blood draws for all the clients that come by that day.
For Public Health Nursing class, we have to do a health-related community outreach activity and my group wants to educate the people about alcohol abuse; the consequences, the need for responsible drinking, etc. While walking on a hike, a car stopped off the side of the road recklessly, and the passengers rolled out of the car to greet us. To our pleasant surprise, they reeked of alcohol and wobbled their arms while staggering their way towards us. We saw many unemployed people hanging out at bars all day long. It seemed to be a problem, especially for the unemployed. However, our lack of a alternate activity makes me worried that our project may do nothing to shape the decisions of the dangerous drunkards of Kanye. Any ideas would be nice... :)
Random facts I forgot to mention:
-People drive on the right side of cars and on the left side of the road.
-I don't know how to post pictures on this blogsite!
-Fatcakes are so delicious!
-I discovered Cadbury chocolates (an Australian chocolate) -- SOO GOOD!
-Coconut flavored marshmellows are coming home with me to share with you all... :)
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