Month: September 2008

  • EMS Weekend

    Call 9-1-1 in America, translates Call S-A-L in Zambia.

     

    This weekend has been “EMS weekend”…..I mean really. Calls to houses in the bush, other clinics….emergency transports to Livingstone Hospital…yikes! Day and night! And Sal even changed phone companies and his phone number just last week….but the word is out!!!  What are you saying God?  Every time we think we have God figured out, there is another level, another step, another piece in the puzzle.  And right now He is moving so fast, we are running to keep up…….. 

     

    I know Renee usually writes the updates, but this is where I felt compelled to take over the keyboard.

     

    I want to tell you about days that are becoming more typical than unusual:

     

    It starts early Friday morning, the 5th of September, with a pregnant HIV patient in labor.  It is my night for call and the patient required monitoring three different times during the night. At 5am, the alarm goes off and by 5:15 the first cup of coffee is ready.  I complete my quiet time by 6am and go to the clinic to check on our expectant mother and get ready to go to Kabuyu for our HIV Clinic Outreach.  Geoffrey arrives a few minutes before 7am for report on the expectant mother and the other inpatients (there are 6).  Off to Kabuyu where we arrive by 8am, set up and proceed to see over 30 of our HIV patients. Back at the clinic, Geoffrey has delivered a baby girl and is preparing to see patients at Sons of Thunder Clinic….there were 38 patients seen that day.  By 1pm, still in Kabuyu, we have seen our last HIV patient when Renee calls to tell me there is a woman in labor at only 7 months with moderate bleeding.  I left the staff and supplies at Kabuyu and took the Land Rover to Bwiketo Village (15 minutes away) where I found a 38 year old woman in obvious discomfort. still in her hut.  On exam, she was fully dilated and delivery imminent.  I reviewed her prenatal card since she was not one of our patients and I saw nothing to cause me concern.  I called Renee to get another vehicle to go to Kabuyu to pick up the staff since I was obviously going to deliver this baby in the hut.  Thirty minutes later, her water breaks and out comes a baby boy that maybe weighed 1 pound.  I attempted to resuscitate for about thirty minutes without success….at 7 months gestation this baby’s lungs were not developed enough.  During the attempted resuscitation, I quickly looked at mom and saw there had been no change in her abdomen size.  I gave the baby to grandma to continue what I was doing and by the time I turned around, a second bag of waters broke. Great----TWINS! Prenatal card didn’t mention this fact.  Trying to teach grandma quicker, I saw the umbilical cord present….not good.  I finished the teaching, turned and moved to mom to now find a foot presenting and the umbilical cord detached.  Mom was bleeding profusely.  By now the vehicle that was picking up at Kabuyu was back on the farm.  I called and had them sent to my location….I needed a flat bed truck.  In about an hour, we had mom in the clinic….IV lines running, monitoring.  Praying the second baby would come out on its own.  About an hour later, I decided to take her to Livingstone General Hospital for a C-section to remove this already dead baby.  During preparation for transport, another call was received from Kasiya with another woman in labor.  Geoffrey and Mwanza head to Kasiya while I head to LGH and Renee stays back to cover the clinic.  Two hours later I return to find Geoffrey had just delivered his second baby girl for the day 5 minutes before I walked in the door.  We talked a bit, I told him goodnight and let Namatama know I was on call.  It was now 10pm.  At 10:45pm I received a call from Katapazi Clinic for an HIV patient in labor.  I arrived and ended up doing the delivery at their clinic and started the baby on the protocol of a prophylactic short course of HIV meds.  I arrived back at the apartment at 1:30am….changed IVs on those in the clinic that needed them and was in bed by 2am. 

     

    The alarm went off at 5am Saturday morning, Sept 6th and we start again. 

    I leave for town at 6:45 am Saturday morning to do some clinic shopping for medicines and office or food supplies.  It is also the day we pick up the lab technician to bring him back to the clinic to do the weekly lab tests.  On the way back to the clinic, I received a call from Siandazya for a woman in labor.  I dropped off the lab tech and went to pick up the patient and bring her back to the clinic.  Around 1pm, another call came from Siakasipa for a 18 year old girl in labor.  Upon arrival at the village, found a first time mom too far along to move.  Baby was delivered in the hut….everything fine.  I arrive back at Sons of Thunder at 5pm and make rounds on all the inpatients twice before going to bed.  .I’m still on call.  Twice during the night I am awakened to check on our pregnant patients.  All is well.

     

    It’s now Sunday morning Sept 7th…we go to church in town and have lunch out.  One of the missionary couples who have been here for six years are returning to the states and this was his last sermon.  Geoffrey agreed to cover the clinic while we were in town.  When we returned from town, we found that one of our AIDS inpatients had suffered a stroke and was close to death.  Pastor Julius had already been called and family was around her bed.  About 30 minutes later, Emeldah died.  After the usual washing and wrapping of the body, we took the family and Emeldah back to her village for burial.  It’s now Sunday night and I’m still on call, still have 5 inpatients and the alarm will still sound at 5am Monday morning if not sooner.

     

    These are our days and they are occurring more frequently….

    We have 3 skilled people trying to do the job of 10….

    We have 1 vehicle when 2 are needed…..

    The clinic is bursting at the seams.  On one occasion we had 12 patients admitted in a clinic that holds 9.  We need a mother’s shelter…we need more wards.

    We need more skilled staff and the money to pay them.  We need staff housing. We need another vehicle. We need Tonga Bibles.

    Right now our monthly budget is $2500….but we realistically need $5000 just to meet our monthly operating expenses…things like salaries, medications, formula for babies of HIV positive moms, inpatient food, lab reagents, office and cleaning supplies and diesel. And that doesn’t include repair and maintenance for either the vehicle or building. 

     

    We need your help.  First and foremost we need your prayers and then we need your financial support.   Together, we will see God’s purpose fulfilled….It’s says in His Word that His plan will not be thwarted.  This is an awesome work to be a part of….God is making a difference here.  Each and every day, we see His hand and if we look hard enough we see His face.  To think that God has called you or me to be His vessel in this ministry is very humbling.  Lots of times when we give our money to something….we never see where it goes or how it helps or even if it helps.  I am here to tell you your money here helps!!!  Your money here makes a BIG difference.  Your money feeds a belly, treats a wound, transports the sick and dying, safely delivers a baby, helps to prevent transmission of HIV from mother to child, provides education and most importantly preaches the Gospel by word and deed. Sons of Thunder Medical Ministries is feeding Zambia physically and spiritually every day….you are always welcome to come and be a part of God’s hands and feet in this ministry. 

    Thank you.

     

    God Bless,

    Sal

  • In the Face of Fear

    Saturday night, we ate dinner with a small work team up at the guest house.  During dinner, Sal got a call for a woman in labor at Kasiya.  After he left and I spent a short time in additional fellowship, I decided to head back to our apartment.  Armed with my usual small flashlight, I exited the house and proceeded along the path towards the clinic.  The moon was shining pretty bright….I almost didn’t need the flashlight or “torch” as it is called in Zambia.  I started thinking of an earlier conversation I had with one of the ladies on the work team.  She had told me of her fear of snakes and had asked me if I was afraid living here. As I reflected, I honestly could tell her, “No….I really am not fearful of anything.  It’s like one morning I woke up and realized “all fear is gone.” (just like the song J)

    Well, about that time I rounded the far corner of the clinic and began to unlock my door when I heard a   “Hsssst.”  I looked down at my feet and to the left not more than a foot and a half away was a coiled up cobra with its head up looking at me!!!!!  I very quickly backed out of its range and circled wide to the front door of the clinic.  I had to do something because Sal was on his way home and I didn’t want him coming up to the door.  I went into the clinic and Collin was working the weekend.  I said, “Collin, there’s a snake.” He asked, “Where?”   I answered,”At my house.”  He immediately came outside with me and together we went to where I had seen the snake.  Collin got a few rocks and after about throwing three, each with careful aim, the snake was sort of paralyzed.  The cobra had hidden himself in the rocks used to decorate around the outside of the clinic, so Collin found a large stick to move the rocks and find the head. After using the stick to lift the snake onto the road and then a few hits to the head, the snake was dead.  I asked Collin if he had ever killed a snake before ….his calm voice answered “Many.”  As Collin and I were further examining the snake, Sal pulled up in the Land Rover. Collin and I told Sal the story and showed him the snake.  He went to the guest house to get the two teenagers on the work team in order to show them a cobra.  They came hurriedly, camera in hand to snap a night shot of the dreaded snake.  After all the excitement, Sal walked the teens back to the guest house and returned to the apartment. 

     

    I realized after we came into the apartment and closed the door just how fortunate I was….that snake really was close enough to have bitten me!  I thanked God more than once for being my Protector!

     

    And now…..I’m thanking you for your prayers!!!!

  • Technology Has Arrived!!!

    Technology has arrived in Zambia!!!!!  The Kazunguka District Ministry of Health, thanks to CDC, has given us a desktop computer and printer with a battery back up unit.  Why. you ask? Well it is to incorporate us into the SmartCard program already begun throughout the country.  Every ART patient (patient taking HIV meds) and every antenatal patient (pregnant mother) will be logged into the computer and given a SmartCard.  The card is like a credit card but will have all of their medical information on it so they can travel from place to place.  Great idea you think….well yes it is progress, but most of our patients remember live in grass huts in the African bush.  The card can easily be lost, damaged by fire or eaten by rats….. (you should see their cardboard antenatal cards when they come in and they just have to keep those for nine months! )  Also, most of them can’t afford transport into town let alone travel from place to place.  That’s the whole reason why we provided transport for the first three years and now we go to them with their ART medicines.  Don’t get me wrong…I welcome change here and I think the computerized chart is a great idea and we are already using it….Sal and I.  Teaching the computer program to the staff will be another step forward. The people from CDC out of Lusaka who brought the computer and set it up were excited because they said, “We know you will use it.” Evidently there are some other centers that have had the computer for awhile, but are not using it.  It is intimidating to people who have never been exposed to a computer or had access to a computer…..some Zambians do use computers in town for e-mail purposes, but not actual programs and data entry. I do believe Geoffrey is more computer savvy, but we haven’t been able to discuss with him as of yet. He wasn’t here when the computer and CDC personnel arrived.

    Before the excitement had time to wear off that Kazungula District Health Ministry has been really including us in their programs…..they gave us a refrigerator!!!!

    They gave us one of the refrigerators donated from Japan specifically designed for the storage of immunizations.  The blue chest style refrigerator also has a small freezer section and runs on electricity, propane and kerosene.  It’s very nice!

                AIDS Alliance, a US organization sponsored a training for three of our HIV patients who are positively living with HIV to be treatment supporters in the community.  Their job will be to work with us in their communities helping to promote ART drug adherence and proper nutrition, along with early recognition of any side effects. They will report back to us any defaulters or problems.  They will also be paid monthly by AIDS Alliance….and a pretty good salary to boot! 

                Speaking of “community”…..I have a list of interested people here at SoT , one or two from each village, given to me by each headman, who I am going to train to be our first community health evangelists or CHEs.  That’s the workshop I went to in Swaziland and I am going to move forward with the program first here at SoT.  We are getting ready to have our first meeting.  I will probably have a couple meetings, but I will begin training after our return from furlough in December or January. Community Health Evangelism is the combining of physical and spiritual health promotion in the community with home visits….each visit incorporates a health lesson with a Bible lesson.  I continue to be reminded of the mission statement of Sons of Thunder….”to feed Africa physically and spiritually through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.”  I really feel this program is just another stepping stone lighting up for us here at SoT Medical. When Sal and I came in 2005….beside the call to “start a clinic on the farm”, we were also called to “Feed a Nation” Our base is the SoT Medical Clinic here at the farm, but we are supposed to reach out into the communities “feeding Zambia physically and spiritually through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.”  With no plan of our own, that’s exactly what I see happening.  As we just do what is put in front of us each day trusting God to light the next stone in the journey…..we are moving out…..we are in five different communities now with SoT making six., covering one whole side of the Kazungula District. Sometimes I just take time to peek over my shoulder and see the tapestry God has already woven, pondering what will be the finished masterpiece!