Leah Chapin

En Yuri Leah

Wednesday, June 6^th 

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are all clinic days at BMC.  I learned that there is a health care system in Ghana, if patients apply for it, so some of the patient’s coming in had forms for the doctors to fill out and sign, so they could pay for the visit.  It was a very busy morning and afternoon. 

Before clinic started, the workers at BMC have a devotion at 7:00am.  It was a good message from Psalm 121:5-7.  Most of it was in Mamprusi, but the pastor translated some of it into English.  “Our help comes from the Lord” seemed pretty relevant to me, considering the difficulties I had getting here, LOL! 

Patients at BMC are given a 4X6 card as a patient record.  As the patient has more visits, new cards get stapled to the previous ones, and patients who have been quite a few times end up with quite an accordion of a history. 

Emily and Peter were helping with patient check-in, taking blood pressures and recording weight.  David and I split up; I shadowed Dr. Hewitt, and he shadowed Dr. Faile.  Patient’s names would be called out loudly (no HIPPA here!) and they would come into the office where there was an interpreter and some very basic diagnostics.  As I mentioned before, there is a lab and a pharmacy, so labs and medication orders are written on the patient card, and those patients who were in need of a procedure or surgery were sent to wait on benches just outside the surgery ward.  Patient’s who were critical enough to be admitted were taken from the clinic. 

Lunch break is at 12 for an hour, and patients are accepted until 12:00pm for sign up.  After lunch, remaining patients who had checked in before noon are seen until they are all completed.  Procedures take place in the afternoon/evening, but surgery days are only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

It was a long and exhausting day, but also very exciting and rich with learning.  I became more familiar with the layout of the hospital, and how the system worked.  I am glad to be here, and to be learning so much.  Before I came, I had expected to be able to function more independently than I have been.  But medicine is so different here, with tropical disease, and with different ways of controlling chronic problems.  That added to the steep language barrier put me more in a position of learning.  I just hope I am not a burden to the doctors, but they are being so friendly and seem perfectly willing to teach, despite how overworked they are. 

I am keeping a journal of all of the patients and procedure I see, as well as writing down little thoughts during the day, and some of the Mamprusi that I am slowly learning.  Thank you, Amanda, for getting me my little book; I use it A LOT! I miss you all, and love you.  Pray for BMC, and for the doctors that work here, that they will be strengthened and encouraged continually. 

Patients:

31 male patients, 32 female patients(8 were pediatric) 

ProcedureàUS (Ultrasound), I&D (Incision and Drainage) 

DiseasesàHIV, snake bites, meningitis, soft tissue infections, HTN (hypertension), arthritis, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, SZ D/O (seizure disorder), osteomyolitis, abscesses, schistosoma haematobium, malnutrition, facial psoriasis, miscarriage, nephritic syndrome, bladder retention, breast cancer, GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease), blindess, oncocitiasis (river blindness), malaria 

Mampruli:Dinga wulla? à How are you?; Diswa à Fine; Desuba à Goodmorning; Ni i wantanga à good afternoon; Ni i zanoori à good evening; Aning wula à good evening (after dark); Sabesia à sleep; Isabesia à How did you sleep?; Ensabesia à I slept well.; Sa à rain; I yuri? à  What is your name?; En yuri à  My name is…; I la fia à  Are you feeling well?; Bun ma yuri? à What is it called?