"'Muricans think their time is so important!"

Picture 1. The group with the Kiteek chief Tidoh Manany. (James, Kendra,Dr. Morris, Chief, Brian, Courtney, Alex, Bri, Jean Young, Brin)

Our first three days in Saboba have been interesting. The scenery has changed- we are closer to the desert so it is more dusty, the rolling jungle turned into a red/dust flatland with shurbs and fewer trees. It is the dry season so some of us are getting bloody noses and sore throats in the morning. Luckily it cools down from 95 to 70F at night.
But beyond the physical changes, we have stepped into a social setting where greetings are not to be rushed and visitors are not supposed to ask too many questions about the water shortage/ contamination problem. Our first two days were spent meeting the local leaders- a Kiteek chief, the District Chief Executive, and others. For each, we could not speak directly to the chief- we spoke to a spokesperson who told the chief's spokesperson our messages who translated them to the chief. A group of elders surrounded him for the meeting, and the chief's feet could not touch the floor so they were propped up on a stool or fur rug. One gave us a guinea fowl as a welcome present.
Our hosts tell us that the impression that locals have of Americans is that we think our time is too important. The meanest thing a person can spread about you here is that you 'dont make time for people'. The one local doctor finds it hard to balance local PR and her workload.
Our living conditions are palatial in comparison with the locals, so we can't complain.

At the hospital, we have been overwhelmed. The cases are all advanced, supplies are limited, and the staff are sparse. Some of us were trained to do a basic workup- cardio, abdominal, respiratory exams and how to consider the lab results and the common complaints. We often join the medical assistants or the doctor on rounds in the morning, and watch hernia or lump reovals in the afternoon.

Kendra, James, and Bri visited a local tailor and seamstress to be fitted for dresses and srcrub tops. US$2.50 per shirt, $6 per dress.
Brian and Courtney were able to watch the birth of a baby girl today- the labor and delivery lasted a whooping 20 minutes! about 2 minutes of pushing and it was over.
Bri and Kendra cleaned and replaced the dressing of an advanced bone infection- osteomyelitis in the thigh of a 20 year old today. We poured hydrogen peroxide into side of the thigh and watched it foam out the other side!
Alex learned about how the laboratory is set up and functions- he was running tests most of the day for typhoid, meningitis, malaria, and TB. Many were positive, luckily no positive TBs today.
Brian worked with the financial officers- asked about the insurance policies and how they bill people and what sort of budget the hospital is running on. He learned that the hospital was essectially losing money- they charged hardly enough for supplies for procedures such as a hernia removal (US$90).

Thanks for thinking of us!