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| Susan with a group of saintly sick ones in Mrima Dispensary |
HAPPY FEAST OF ALL SAINTS!!!
When I arrived at Mrima Dispensary on Oct 24th I found all these people waiting for me. This is the second month in a row that this many people have turned up early at this clinic near the Tanzanian border. It takes me at least two hours to get there. We have to cross a ferry and one never knows how long that will take. In addition we always get stopped by several police officers who are looking for ways to make more money for their pockets rather than protecting the safety of the average citizen.
What makes this bevy of saints so special is that in January of this year this clinic was not functioning at all and there were no patients for me to see!!! We had worked very hard since 2010 to get the building renovated and supplies and medicines stocked. But the staffs were horrible. We had two nurses sent by the government and they only worked two days a week in the clinics for pregnant women and immunizations for young children. They pocketed the money they collected from these clinics and moved around to other places on the other days of the week. We paid three other staff. The receptionist was also pocketing money. The clinical officer (like a physician assistant) was rude to the patients and didn't know how to properly care for them. The lab worker was in cahoots with the receptionist. So we got out a broom and made a clean sweep!!!
Now we have a nurse sent from the government who is very good and she has been delivering 10 to 11 babies each month. The clinical officer is young and inexperienced but she is trying her best and learning from the patients we see together. The receptionist is a fine young man with common sense and good ideas for improving the services. So far he seems to be accounting accurately for the money he collects. So with the improved staffs the patients have returned and I have plenty of work to do.
On the home front for Kenya in general, we still have avoided the Ebola virus, unlike the USA and other countries much further away. There have been some violent incidents on the coast which are felt to be linked to members of Al Shabaab who have come in from Somalia. We don't go out at night and take reasonable precautions. But we are able to do our work and I don't feel in any more danger than if I was in New York or Chicago.
Thanks to all of you who have offered to contribute to the retirement fund. If you don't know what I'm talking about look at my blog for September. There's still one more month to go before I'm officially 30 years with Maryknoll and I hope you'll take $30 out of your pocket for the retirement fund if you haven't already done so.
PEACE OF THESE SMILING SAINTS WITH EMPTY POCKETS TO YOU!!!
