March 17 - visit to Kalomo Hospital

Hello all
Sometimes its difficult to get photos to send - maybe a few words will transmit! It is St. Patrick's day - but haven't seen any Zambians wearing green today!

This am I spent the morning with Dr. George P - at Kalomo Hospital doing rounds in "bush medicine". Very little diagnostic equipment and not always the right medicine - so...."we use our brains" he says. George was a colleague of Shalin and Manoj at UTH - we have common friends.

I initially went to Kalomo Hospital this am to retrieve 4 month old baby Joy who had been hospitalized for almost a week with measles. She is stable now and was released this am - after rounds were done. Since I always seek information and since George was just beginning his rounds when I arrived at KH he agreed for me to just tag along for education purposes.

This am at Kalomo Hospital we saw a few cases of baby malnutrition - severe cases. Edema - and stunted growth. Also, possibly a case of parental neglect - a 10 year old gal who needed to be assessed for HIV - parent had neglected. She was mostly non-responsive - about a 7 on the GCS. A young gal who broke her femur playing "football" - and in traction weighted by 2 water jugs, a psychotic 22 year old woman responding to hallucinations... and responding well to some largactil and artane, several HIV positive patients, a young mom with measles, tb patients, tropical ulcer, diabetes....

Baby Joy was released with amoxicillan and tylenol prn - but NO amoxicillan was available - at the Hospital, or pharmacy in town or at Namwianga clinic - but I connected with Kathy Merritt who had some - Praise God for that b/c Joy's temp has spiked again and she sounds somewhat congested.

I also brought 14 month old Joseph as he woke up with a rash on arms and legs and small ulcers in his mouth and I wanted Dr. George to see if he possibly could have measles. He does not - at least yet. I'm keeping Joy away from the others for a few days.

The days remain quite warm - in the early 30's. The nights cool down to about 17 degrees. There are less rains, but rain is still welcome!

Good to hear from any of you!
Love
Sue