Modern Medicine??

So the good news is I don’t have Malaria, the bad news is that I had to experience the not so modern ways of the Bagamoyo hospital to find that out. Before I continue, let me first say THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT DAD!

So earlier this week, I started feeling not so hot. Well correction, I started feeling very hot. In the states, this would just be shrugged off as the possible cold or flu but here, the minute anyone gets the slightest fever its off to get tested for malaria. Now having toured the hospital during orientation, I was already not thrilled about this trip. But following the orders of the resident medic, Gerry, I along with Project and two staff members went merry along. The process will never be recreated with words but heres my best shot. After arriving, I am seated in the waiting area, a concrete slab, while B in broken English and Kiswahili checks me in. Really all she does is pay 1000 shillings (about 70 cents) and tell them my birthday. We then are given a very official, can you sense the sarcasm?, record with the date stamped on it. We walk into an open air waiting room where are now in line for the doctor. I say “in line” however it seems to be whoever rushes to the door first sees the doctor. After waiting for what we think should be our turn, and noticing that wet mops are hanging to dry on a power line, we jump to the door. As we enter the room, we see the doctor sitting at a table. I describe my symptoms and she orders a malaria test. No, duh right?!! We head to the “laboratory” where, and I kid you not, I am poked with a tiny razor to draw blood. While waiting for the test results, we are told that we must pay 500 shillings (35 cents) before we get the results. We oblige and come back to find out that I in fact do not have malaria. Wahoo! but wait….we now must go back to the doctor and let her tell me that too. So now apply that same waiting process to this part of the story. So all in all good news no malaria, bad news I had to get pricked by a razor blade to find that out. Up side to the whole story: While waiting I saw a sign for other services at the hospital and among of these were skin graphing for 10000 shillings (about 7 dollars) and removal of ovarian cysts for an additional 10000 shillings. Now really, you can’t beat that!!

In case that story wasn’t enough to satisfy your third world needs, here’s some more pics!