Limol #6

Playing doctor

This weekend has been a really difficult one. Dabi, the little girl with the infected buttock, needs medicine four times a day and she is very reluctant to take it, even mixed in peanut butter on a bit of sago. The poor thing. Her temperature was still high today and Grace and I cleaned and redressed the wound. I've sent all updates to Tessa for advice but unfortunately the west coast is asleep most of the day. Since Saturday, we've had more then ten people come asking for medicine. It's become a source of tension in the house. I don't want to be the village doctor and am hesitant to give out medication to anyone for anything. I'd rather just be the emergency first aid care. Lauren thinks everyone that wants medicine should have it. Grace is in between. The fact is that the health situation in South Fly is so terrible that even if we do help, it's just a drop in a very large bucket. Upiara's health post doesn't dress or even look at wounds, they just hand out 1 week doses of amoxicillin, apparently due to lack of supplies. The Malam health post isn't staffed because it's missing a door and has been missing a door for three years now. The medicines are expired and the staff are untrained. The Limol health post was started being built last year but is only making headway now that we are in town. Even if they finish, though, it's unclear who will staff it and how much experience they will have, what types of supplies they might have and how they will get them, and if it will help people. 

In the meanwhile, the village is full of wounded, sore, beaten, unhealthy people with a great need for care. I can care, but who will care when I am gone? How much should I care? When people in the village don't seem to care? Or perhaps that's unfair. How poor, uneducated, and neglected must you be before abuse and negligence is "forgiveable"? Questions to reflect on.

Kate