19:23.85S169:14.7E Treat patients in pyjamas
Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Thu 30 Apr 2015 09:27
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We are now on Tanas west side, another rolly
anchorage but we are not here for our own comfort.
Last blog we left you when Ellinor was ashore on
one of the northern villages.
They needed food, had not got any since a
helicopter drop soon after the hurricane. They tried to live on crabs and
fishing. All their gardens were killed by salt water spray. Next village, same
situation it all came to a need of 4,3 tons of food.
That was relayed back to Lenaka where Lil Explorer
waited for the message.
After headcound and check for medical aid, we went
to find protection here on the west side.
As we anchored a small boy; Jessaya paddled
out on his little outrigger and asked if there was a doctor? His grandpa was
ill.
So we just dropped anchor and went ashore with the
dinghy, and now it is starting to get more adventureus when landing, we are not
in protected bays anymore where you look for shelter and comfort. We were almost
washed ashore by the waves...
There we met some students that offered to help us
to find the way and translate. We walked and climbed a bit and finally made it
to an elderly couple, Jessayas grand parents. He lives with them, that is custom
in Vanuatu that you might have 5-6 kids but you can give them away to other
family members to make it easier to feed them. The man thought he had some
serious heart problem but soon Ellinor could tell him that it was an
acid/stomach problem and he got some medicine for that.
Back to the boat in the dark and we fell asleep
quite soon as it had been a long day.
This morning as we looked out there was another
patient sitting in an outrigger canoe. One of his legs was in bad shape and he
asked if we could look at it. Ellinor, being the person she is, just asked him
up on the boat and started to treat him in pyjamas.
He told us that there were several people in the
villages around that needed help. So we took a discussion with Jonathan about
what to do.
Since we had no cargo to deliver (yes we have food
to distribute but not enough) and Shannon on Lil Explorer could run clinics as
they delivered food up north we decided to stay here and help out. The guy with
the damaged leg was going to paddle away to give the message and then meet us at
one of the beaches 2 miles up from here. We had our breakfast and the whole
family took off, this time is was only Salsa crew on assignment. First beach,
Ellinor treated an elderly woman, all houses were gone, they lived under
temporary roofs made of palm leafs. Managed but would welcome some food, we told
them trucks under way will be here Saturday or Monday (oh yes you do not work on
Sundays in the Pacific, does not matter what you do).
Next place, a woman and a child, most of the people
had moved into a cave, to seek shelter.
Then it was time to climb up the mountain to reach
the main village Lounanit.
The guy with the bad leg David first as our
guide and then we came with backpacks and a big bucket with medicines
etc.
Houses on the way flattened to the ground, enormous
trees just laying around. The guide apologised for the mess (!).
Once in the village we saw the chief and he
welcomed us and let us have his house as a clinic. He was there all day and made
sure doctor and patients understood each other. Now you might start to think
about privacy and a doctors visit, there is no such thing here.
They all go in as a group and all are around as you
are examined. They laugh when the examined person does something (like
breath heavily so Ellinor can listen to lungs). So the chiefs house was full,
people waiting outside and it was a lot about pain and infections. I acted as
the secretary (the goverment in Vanuatu wants to know of every treatment and
what we give out), and also as a phamacist (well counting tablets
etc).
In total Ellinor had 26 patients and then it was
time to climb down again. The kids had played and made a long excursion on their
own.
They were tyred and dirty. In the dinghy the guide
asked if we could visit his family on the way, hard to say no. And there we met
4-5 kids with lots of infectious wounds on their legs. Obviously all the
branches and trees that have been downed by the storm are full of sharp branches
etc. The kids hurt themselves a lot and then nobody takes care of it, flies (and
there are plenty of them) get into the wounds and make things
worse.
So when we ame back to the boat by 1700 we have had
breakfast and a few peanuts, one sandwich each, all day. It was nice to be back
home.
One thing I have not meantioned is that despite
peoples great atitude and bravery they show a lot of stress symptoms according
to the doctors.
Being here in a boat and provide help is perfect,
we are fully selfsustainable, we need no help from ashore to survive, we make
our own fresh water, we have our food and we get away from the tragic scenery
when done. We are also far out and very seldom have to deal with all the flies
when on board.
After dark ChezNouis and Lil Explorer came in and
they have had a hard day to. The anchorages where they had to unload have been
really bumpy and 4 tons of food does not come off easily at sea.
You might wonder why we do not just give our food
away to those we meet, well here fairness is everything. So if we give food to
somebody we can start a mess. You either have for everybody or you do not give
out anything. Harsh.
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