I spent the whole day today at the medical clinic in Dakar, Senegal. First I got a tour and then they put me to work! It is called "Keru Yakaar" which means Hope House, I think in Wolof cause it sure doesn't sound like anything to me. It doesn't open until 8am, but when I arrived at 7:30 there were dozens of people lined up waiting already. At 7:45 there was a meeting and prayer time for the staff - around 15 people gathered in the classroom for that. Then they started seeing patients. There are no appointments, its first come first served. For the medical part there were around 120 people seen today. There was just 1 doctor and the rest were nurses. They also have a dental section. Each day they can see 55 people in the dental section, and today they had to turn away another 50. I had a hard time walking through dental because I know that many of the people are there just to get teeth pulled out and the thought of that makes me feel lightheaded.
This is the laboratory at the clinic.
And this is the pharmacy room. They had just gotten in a big lot of pills. I spent an hour or so helping to sort them out. Mostly I was taking little prepacked plastic bags of 30 pills, taking 10 out, and putting 14 into empty plastic bags because they wanted bags of 14 and of 20 of that pill. I also spent a few hours today auditing the books for another project that my host lady runs. It was also tedious, but it was fun to find mistakes! I had to compare 3 binders full of receipts with the printed out financial records for all of 2011 for the ministry that I will go to visit on Friday. It is a home or center for street children, I think mostly its ex-garibout boys, but I will learn more about it on Friday.
I spent the whole day today at the medical clinic in Dakar, Senegal. First I got a tour and then they put me to work! It is called "Keru Yakaar" which means Hope House, I think in Wolof cause it sure doesn't sound like anything to me. It doesn't open until 8am, but when I arrived at 7:30 there were dozens of people lined up waiting already. At 7:45 there was a meeting and prayer time for the staff - around 15 people gathered in the classroom for that. Then they started seeing patients. There are no appointments, its first come first served. For the medical part there were around 120 people seen today. There was just 1 doctor and the rest were nurses. They also have a dental section. Each day they can see 55 people in the dental section, and today they had to turn away another 50. I had a hard time walking through dental because I know that many of the people are there just to get teeth pulled out and the thought of that makes me feel lightheaded.
This is the laboratory at the clinic.
And this is the pharmacy room. They had just gotten in a big lot of pills. I spent an hour or so helping to sort them out. Mostly I was taking little prepacked plastic bags of 30 pills, taking 10 out, and putting 14 into empty plastic bags because they wanted bags of 14 and of 20 of that pill. I also spent a few hours today auditing the books for another project that my host lady runs. It was also tedious, but it was fun to find mistakes! I had to compare 3 binders full of receipts with the printed out financial records for all of 2011 for the ministry that I will go to visit on Friday. It is a home or center for street children, I think mostly its ex-garibout boys, but I will learn more about it on Friday.
Hi Erin, it is so interesting how you are learning so much, even now when you're in a transition. Isn't it assuring to know that He both precedes and follows us! All of this is going to help you and JP in your ministries. All the contacts, experiences/cultural familiarities you are gaining/places available to your flock in the greater area accessible to them. Praise God that the dangers have slowed down. Thank you for your honest reporting. You and JP are loved and prayed for!
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