helen weld public health

Friday, April 25, 2008

Back in Freetown. . .

Back in Freetown late last night and I am here at the local internet cafe now. So many sights on the way here, about a mile walk through very crowded streets full of pedestrians, motorbikes and cars. Definitely the most vulnerable aspect of being here, not the security aspect, just not getting hit by a moving vehicle. I am very careful and have eyes at the back of my head now.

Interesting sights to see as the morning begins. What these people (generally women) carry on their heads is just phenomenal. Mostly their hands are free too! Huge loads of rice, mangos, petrol. I also saw two soccer players jogging to practice with the balls on top of their heads! Amazing. . .Then there are the women all plaiting each other's hair around their doors stoops. The many homeless dogs are curled up on the street corners after a big night out foraging through all the rubbish on the streets. Saturday will be the monthly clean up day where no vehicles are allowed out until early afternoon. A joke, as the rubbish just gets shoved up into enormous piles on the roadsides and never gets picked up so things just get strewn all over again.

We had a full 36 hours away Up Country. We went to Koidu in the Kono District. There is still much evidence of the war damage. It's hard to believe that the Weekend Australian featured Sierra Leone as a travel destination. It seems like it's going to be awhile before a real tourist trade can be established here. Mind you, I haven't seen the coastal areas much, but I have seen lots of the other districts and the facilities are very basic or nonexistent.

We ended up not going to Kabala. Turns out the famous left behind girl will have to wait for a different MD. Her surgery is more specialised. There is a Dr. Smith from Vanderbilt who comes over and spends 10 days doing a marathon of work. We have a current list of 8 or so women for him, so hopefully he will be able to come soon. We did bring back 4 VVF patients for surgery at WAFF. One is a 15 year old girl who also has foot drop (nerve damage) as a result of a 4-day obstructed labor. Very sad. I am getting hold of a physical therapist today to train the nurses in her care.

When we arrived back at WAFF the women were all watching a DVD. When I walked in they all started clapping and chanting, "Helen, Helen". I feel like a movie star! The nurses are very sweet with the new patients, giving them welcome hugs. Unfortunately, due to a lack of bed space, some patients who have been here awhile will have to be moved to another hospital tomorrow. This just breaks my heart, as it feels like they are going into the gulag. This other hospital has no water, food or electricity!

Must be off now.
Much love, Helen