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April medical camps,seven communities
A native healer using a blade to incise an infants cheek
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scarification incisions on back
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ash rubbed into the wounds - treatment for convulsions
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| It is easy to condemn practices that belong to another cultural tradition, but equally hard accept them when they clearly increase suffering and fail to manifest healing. Children convulsing with cerebral malaria succumb very swiftly and New Foundations workers strive to emphasise the importance, and availability of antimalarials in the communities, but when effective medicine is simply not available between camps and where Health Care Workers are not based, recourse to traditional healers is the only option for many. |
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A total of 502 patients were seen in the first April camp across Oboro, Opokounou, and Gbalegoro communities.
60% were children , the cases predominantly Malaria and many Antenatal cases, especially mothers exhibiting anaemia.
Education is a cornerstone of the camps , and encouragement to take up tetanus toxoid given the high mortality in infants from this disease as a result of poor birthing practice.
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We were expecting two of our female health care workers to be on camp but the child of one had been taken ill with acute malaria and had been taken to town. The Health Care Workers have limited diagnostic and treatment skills , and without permanent medical care in the communities and having treated the child appropriately with oral antimalarials it had developed renal failure. Sadly we learnt he died a short time after becoming ill. Her daughter died from a brief illness two years ago age just three.
The second camp from 23-28th april covered Okoloba, Okwama, Akugbene and Obeinema
A total of 319 patients were seen, again the camp dominated by malaria patients
respiratory, and diarrhoeal illnesses also common.
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Health care Workers triaging mother and children in a medical camp. With a rota of community visits each month each camp has become orderly with the opportunity to focus on the sickest first. Men increasing understand that the camps are focused on Women and Childrens health which has detracted from inappropriate attendance.
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Since January this young lad has had a large chronic
ulcer dressed daily by a Health Care Worker.
You can see even in this less than perfect photo that the wound is smaller and has a covering now of new skin. The arm is thicker and the musculature
recovering with physiotherapy.
April 2007
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Akugbene Community: the president of the customary court in this community is a retired war veteran.He provided accommodation for two of us, hosting us for two nights
This same man has single handedly repaired one of the rain harvesting tanks in this community from his own pocket. The repair was undertaken by our technical man who repairs and maintains the tanks
You would see one of our hcws and a young boy as he fetches water after a heavy downfall of rain. It is especially gratifying that a member of the community has been proactive , exemplifying the crucial partnership between community and charity.  January 2007 |
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