Fatoumata cannot afford her medicines. She had planned to sell one of her sheep before coming to the clinic, but the cattle market has been canceled for some time. She has diabetes but living without medicines can cause serious complications. For patients like Fatoumata who come to the Dahra clinic,[...]
Archive for the ‘Medical’ Category
Dahra Campaign
Maimouna shakes my hand and hugs me. She recently consulted me and since the treatment her deaf ear has healed: she can hear again. Now she’s come with her neighbors for a two-day campaign of free consultation and screening at the clinic in North Senegal.[...]
A shepherd in the doctor’s office
His flock of sheep remains outside the gate when Abdou comes to the hospital for medical consultation. He has not been feeling well for a while, but because of trepidation, he has never been to the hospital before. He is a shepherd of the Fulani people and does not easily open up, not even to [&hell[...]
The cause of illness
A virus or bacteria can make us sick. Behavior, such as smoking or poor nutrition, can also cause illness, which is why lifestyle medicine is on the rise. It is a revelation to many Senegalese physicians, health care students, and nurses that our values and underlying belief systems and cultur[...]
On death, hope and perseverance
“A little further to the left Tabitha!” Dr. Soh shouts. It is 2013, we are on the empty site that he has just bought for the construction of the hospital. We (Maria, Tabitha, Simon and Jan and Dr. Soh) are each on a corner of the empty plot so that we can see the size. […][...]
Malnutrition in the slums
Alioune* sweeps the floor of the Koranic school, the room that we use for the church’s malnutrition program in this slum area in Dakar. The beautiful coastline in the distance stands out against the sea of corrugated iron with wooden huts. The sun-drying fish attracts a huge pest of flie[...]
October 28th, 2018 - 08:52 § in Medical
Be the Saline of the world
NaCl, saline solution, is the standard infusion solution, no matter which country you work in. It is also the name of an internationally used training for Christians in health care, who desire to be ‘salt’ in their environment. 10 Senegalese colleagues traveled to Togo this summer to follow this[...]
October 28th, 2018 - 08:36 § in Medical
Headaches and high blood pressure
Fatou, a woman of less than 60 years old, comes stumbling into the clinic, supported by a family member. At the door the triage nurse had her cut the long line, and in the emergency room it appears that her paralysis is caused by a stroke. Years ago, she was diagnosed with high blood pressure, [&hel[...]
International Women’s Day
In Senegalese culture it is hilarious when a man serves a woman. Just imagine the laughs when all the male personnel of the clinic, including the director, served the women bowls with food. March 8 is International Women’s Day. It is a day to bring the rights of women to the attention, but in Sene[...]
April 17th, 2018 - 19:44 § in Medical
Triage and saving lives
Right at the entrance of the Keru Yakaar clinic, the triage nurse sees that toddler Modou has signs of dehydration. His mother has taken him because he has had diarrhea for a day and does not want to eat. Modou gets a red card which allows him to skip the line and go directly to […][...]
