Welcome to Eldoret! We saw this right when we got off the plane :)
"Habari?" This is the most common greeting in Eldoret, along with "Jambo." "Habari" means "how are you?" and "Jambo" means "Hello." The past couple days have been very intense, scary, exciting, overwhelming, and pretty much every other emotion you can think of. After a long journey from the US to Amsterdam to Nairobi to Eldoret, I am glad to finally be settled in the IU House.
The IU House is a gated community comprised of about eight houses. I am sharing a room with Messai, and I'm really happy that we are roomates and can share our experiences with each other. When we first arrived yesterday, Sonak (our preceptor) picked us up from the Eldoret Airport and gave us a tour of the IU House followed by a tour of the AMPATH Clilnic as well as the hospital ("Wards"). It was pretty overwhelming to see the conditions of the hospital and the patients we would be treating. I am starting to think of a new definition of "sick."
Later that evening, everyone from the IU House (currently about 40 people, will be 70 in July) went to a Kenyan restaurant for dinner. It was definitely a cultural experience, but needless to say I went home hungry- good thing I followed advice and stocked up on granola bars! It was great to interact with the other IU House residents, but the food will take some adjustment. We were served chicken that had burnt feathers on the outside and organs still remaining on the inside and goat meat, which I imagine is similar to chewing leather. I may not have eaten very much, but I was able to embrace the experience and laugh about it with Will, Messai, and the Kenyans. They were laughing at our confusion and watching us trying to pull the chicken wings apart with our fingers, as is custom for them.
Lunches are served at the IU House and have so far been very good. The bananas are amazing, and I am excited to try some other fruits. I have yet to try Tusker (the Kenyan beer), but we may open one tonight to celebrate making it through our first day of work.
This morning, we were thrown right into the medical teams and rounded on the Wards at 9am. On our team, there were about 25 people, including an Attending Physician (aka Consultant), Residents (aka Registrars), Interns, and Pharmacists and Pharmacy students. On this very first day, the very first patient that we saw passed away right in front of us. With the number of people on the team, it was difficult to hear what was being said. I was just looking at the patient, and it dawned on me that his chest was not moving and he wasn't breathing. Without any reaction at all, the Kenyan physician ordered the cart to be brought in so the patient could be taken to the morgue. I kind of lost it and had to step outside for a few minutes. A couple of the med students comforted me and said they reacted the same way the first time they stared death in the face. A simple case of gastroenteritis that could have been treated in the US resulted in death to the patient here.
Even yesterday before we began the hospital tour, the first thing we saw was a person beeing wheeled away on a cart to the morgue. Other people warned me, but I don't think anyone could have prepared me for the amount of death I would see. The mortality rate at the hospital is about 25%, and there are very few days where all patients have survived through the previous night. This is due to lack of medication, lack of service, sanitary conditions, and multiple other factors.
Needless to say, the rounds experience was a little traumatic. I think this will get better with time. I will become more accustomed to the conditions, sights, and smells. I cannot describe the smell other than a combination of body odor, bodily secretions, and another component that I have yet to figure out.
I am not saying all these things to sound negative. I am grateful for the experience to be here and help others; I am just processing some of my own challenges as well. I know I am where I am supposed to be right now, and I am eager to help as best I can. I plan on ending many days with a short visit to the Sally Test Center, which is a Day Care Center for children. There is nothing better than going in to see the smiling faces of the children or holding a baby. The kids have been through more by the age of 4 or 5 than most people go through in a lifetime. They make each day worth it, and I'm sure they will provide some good stories!
Alright, time for me to head out to Nakuma- the Walmart of Kenya!
More stories to come soon- I may be going on an adventure to Nikuru this weekend (a game hunt/safari)- and we will do the BIG safari in July, as it is the time for the Wildebeest migration!
Love to all in the US!
Later that evening, everyone from the IU House (currently about 40 people, will be 70 in July) went to a Kenyan restaurant for dinner. It was definitely a cultural experience, but needless to say I went home hungry- good thing I followed advice and stocked up on granola bars! It was great to interact with the other IU House residents, but the food will take some adjustment. We were served chicken that had burnt feathers on the outside and organs still remaining on the inside and goat meat, which I imagine is similar to chewing leather. I may not have eaten very much, but I was able to embrace the experience and laugh about it with Will, Messai, and the Kenyans. They were laughing at our confusion and watching us trying to pull the chicken wings apart with our fingers, as is custom for them.
Lunches are served at the IU House and have so far been very good. The bananas are amazing, and I am excited to try some other fruits. I have yet to try Tusker (the Kenyan beer), but we may open one tonight to celebrate making it through our first day of work.
This morning, we were thrown right into the medical teams and rounded on the Wards at 9am. On our team, there were about 25 people, including an Attending Physician (aka Consultant), Residents (aka Registrars), Interns, and Pharmacists and Pharmacy students. On this very first day, the very first patient that we saw passed away right in front of us. With the number of people on the team, it was difficult to hear what was being said. I was just looking at the patient, and it dawned on me that his chest was not moving and he wasn't breathing. Without any reaction at all, the Kenyan physician ordered the cart to be brought in so the patient could be taken to the morgue. I kind of lost it and had to step outside for a few minutes. A couple of the med students comforted me and said they reacted the same way the first time they stared death in the face. A simple case of gastroenteritis that could have been treated in the US resulted in death to the patient here.
Even yesterday before we began the hospital tour, the first thing we saw was a person beeing wheeled away on a cart to the morgue. Other people warned me, but I don't think anyone could have prepared me for the amount of death I would see. The mortality rate at the hospital is about 25%, and there are very few days where all patients have survived through the previous night. This is due to lack of medication, lack of service, sanitary conditions, and multiple other factors.
Needless to say, the rounds experience was a little traumatic. I think this will get better with time. I will become more accustomed to the conditions, sights, and smells. I cannot describe the smell other than a combination of body odor, bodily secretions, and another component that I have yet to figure out.
I am not saying all these things to sound negative. I am grateful for the experience to be here and help others; I am just processing some of my own challenges as well. I know I am where I am supposed to be right now, and I am eager to help as best I can. I plan on ending many days with a short visit to the Sally Test Center, which is a Day Care Center for children. There is nothing better than going in to see the smiling faces of the children or holding a baby. The kids have been through more by the age of 4 or 5 than most people go through in a lifetime. They make each day worth it, and I'm sure they will provide some good stories!
Alright, time for me to head out to Nakuma- the Walmart of Kenya!
More stories to come soon- I may be going on an adventure to Nikuru this weekend (a game hunt/safari)- and we will do the BIG safari in July, as it is the time for the Wildebeest migration!
Love to all in the US!
WOW - Mal, I can't even imagine. It definitely points out how incredibly lucky and blessed we are to have the things we take for granted sometimes. You definitely got a bath of fire - no slow initiation period there! Love your blogs and look forward to reading them. Love you and stay safe. Have a wonderful time this weekend - Coco
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ReplyDeleteWhat a first day! WOW! I can't wait to hear about all your experiences. We are so spoiled here in the U.S. I'm glad you're updating this, I checked it I don't know how many times after the Nairobi one. I'm a little impatient,and have to much time on my hands. Hey, isn't that last line a song? Love you!
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