Nalerigu Baptist Medical Center

Yesterday was my first day at the hospital, and first time seeing Nalerigu in the daylight. The facilities are well thought out, very basic, but try to meet the needs of the patients. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is clinic. So in the morning we see all the patients in the hospital, then start seeing anyone who has arrived for clinic. Clinic is a bit overwhelming. Yesterday we had 600 patients show up. Thankfully, there is an unusually high number of volunteer residents, an extra doctor, and two med students (me being one of them) this week. There are only 2 full time permanent doctors here. All 600 patients were seen, we didn't finish until around 7:30pm.

Tuesdays and Thursdays are procedure day, including surgeries and all minor procedures, it's alot quieter. Besides the hospital, there is a nutrition center, where mothers and children can stay to learn how to properly feed their babies, and try to get the children back on track with their weight. And then there is also a TB village, where patients can stay with family and finish the required 6 month treatment program for TB.

The medicine side of things is a bit overwhelming. I've only seen one or two cases of malaria in the US, and practically every other patient has it here. I've never seen typhoid fever in the US, and it's very common here as well. I'm learning snake bite protocols, which are also new. Yesterday I just shadowed Dr. Hewitt, a full time doctor here, and at times I felt more like a 1st year medical student, than one just about to graduate. But Dr. Hewitt is very patient and kind, and I think I will be learning a great deal from him in my time here.

Things we so commonly treat in the US, we do nothing here for. For example, diabetes--in the US it is bread and butter medicine to be managing a diabetic patient. Here, the patients don't have refrigerators, and the pharmacy stocks little insulin. If a patient has diabetes, we can give them some oral drugs, but that is it. There is no such thing as having a patient test their blood sugar at home.

I think it's time to head to market, so I'm off!