Pondamali slum clinic

All the team soldiered on, and despite a flat tyre and being pulled over by the “Askari” (local police), we made it to Pondamali where a crowd of patients, already registered by the teaching staff and dear old Pastor Williams, waited. The clinic began well, as Corinna, Cathie and Michele, were well orientated to the running of it. The leg in the photo below belongs to a gentleman who was involved in a car accident2 years ago and who had sustained crush injuries. Because he couldn’t afford treatment, he used traditional herbal medicine. Consequently he had infection and the bones had never knit. Unfortunately, after just 2.5hours, an urgent meeting had to be held, as a directive from the Minister of Health had been given to close down our clinic. Apparently regulations had changed and permission had to be sought from him. In the past, approval only needed to be sought from local elders/village chiefs and district community nurses.  It was very difficult and distressing to pack up while there were still patients awaiting assessment. There really is so much need and so few options available to these people. Mary and Lillian went directly to the M.O.H. office to resolve this matter and we were told that a letter needed to be presented to him the very next morning. That very night we composed a letter. We contacted Lyle to keep him up-to-date and he & Rosemary perused/modified the letter before it was handed in. Despite our despondency (and being unwell) it didn’t take very long for spirits to be lifted once we were back with the children at MIA.