Day 2 - Nalerigu

Dena ola (good day in Mampule, the local tribal language) from Nalerigu!

Today was just another amazing day. The other students and I keep feeling like we need to pinch each other to remind us that we are really here. It's wonderful and we are starting to fit right in. I'll break this blog up into four pieces of the day which are: my first day of rounding, the market, the escarpment and Easter potluck.

#1 Today was the first morning for rounding and what an experience it was. We started in the pediatrics ward/room which at the time is holding around 18 patients (very low as the rainy/high malaria season is now gone). Today I saw pediatric patients with malaria, typhoid bowel perforation, necrotizing enterocolitis, neisseria meningitis, retroviral infection/immunodeficiency/public health #289 (we don't use the term HIV here), femur fracture and a little girl with a bacteroides sarcoma (I'm getting a picture of this one). Yes, I even saw some normal things like constipation and a febrile seizure. We then went through the other wards which is broken up into a women's area, men's area and OB. Other than the vast array of diagnoses seen today, the thing that I noticed most was the strength of the people in this city. When children are born to mothers without anesthetic, there is no groans by the moms. When patients are post-op from bowel surgery, they get tylenol for pain. There was one man there who had a femur fracture with a pin through his leg for traction who looked comfortable and was also receiving tylenol. Amazing!

It was a short day at the hospital today because of all of the other events that were going on, but I look forward to seeing more. My first clinic day (hundreds of patients are seen during each day by only two attending physicians with the help of some students/residents) is on Wednesday. I'm excited to see what that is about. I've heard that the majority of patients have one of two chief complaints: generalized body pain(GBP) or waist pain. Interesting!

#2 We were able to go to Market today which was very exciting for all of us. The temperature was blistering, but the surroundings were fascinating. The white people are called Sulaminga in the Mampule language, so people were screaming out this word the entire way to and at the market. My favorite was a little girl around three years old who, while we were driving by, busted into song and dance which went something like "Yel-lo (hello) sulaminga, Yel-lo sulaminga). She was adorable! I've heard that when Dr. Hewitt, the head physician at the hospital, goes to the market the people of Nalerigu flock him, calling him Gollum (meaning something like head spiritual leader) because of what he has done for this community.

Many things were sold at the market including fufu, sardines, rice, beads, used clothing and baby items. My favorite thing sold at the market were yards of fabric. I have to say that Ghanians have some of the most beautiful fabric. I bought a swatch for myself in hopes of making it into a skirt after I arrive home. It was an amazing place. The other side of the market story is, of course, the poverty that you see there. These men, women and children rely completely on this market as a means to providing even just a small token to add to there home/hut/family. This doesn't mean new shoes or clothes, but instead maybe an article of underwear for their child or the ability to use rice to provide some sort of nourishment to their family. There is a significant amount of pain that you feel in addition to the joy the people bring you.

#3 After the market, we all jumped in a van with the other physicians and there families for an interesting adventure to an even more rural area of Ghana. The area we went to was called the Gambaga Escarpment. We hiked for about a mile and then climbed to the top of boulders where we were able to see for miles. The day was a bit foggy, but on clear days we were told you are able to the see the countries bordering including Burkina to the North and Togo to the East. It was a beautiful place.

#4 Our final event of the day was an Easter potluck held at a missionaries VERY rural home near the Escarpment. The food was excellent. There was bread, rice dishes, fresh pineapple, mango and a desert that was an apple bar with butterscotch cream on top. Delish!! The children had an Easter Egg hunt while we were there and everyone enjoyed great fellowship. We really had to pinch ourselves at this point, as we never thought we'd have an Easter potluck with hard boiled eggs in Ghana. The people here are wonderful.

So there are my descriptions of the day today. I again have to apologize since I really don't have time to review these blogs, so there may be many grammatical errors including run-ons. I wish that you all were here to experience this with me. Plan for tomorrow: attend rounds in the morning, then head for Easter Service at 2nd Baptist church in the village with the other physicians...should be interesting!

Stay well!

Jill