The Real Deal

Via the request of April Sparkleface Johnson and a few other wishful souls I will give you the rundown on what exactly I am doing in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of people who don’t look or speak like me.

I am working in a hospital in a remote island group (called Lau. . .if you are interested in google mappin’ it). The hospital serves as the sole medical service facility for the 57 islands and 10,000 residents in the area. I am setting up a computerized medical database and doing IT training with the hospital staff. Right now all the patients’ medical records are kept in individual paper folders that are carried around in in different boxes (divided up by village). This is problematic as the paper system has proven to be inefficient as often patients’ medical paperwork is lost, damaged, illegible, confusing, and time-consuming to retrieve. The digital database that will allow for the prevention of lost and damaged data, quicker access to patients’ files, ability to compile comparative data, and the creation of a more streamlined patient information sheet.

Sounds impressive, right? Well it is. Or it will be. Once we work out all the obstacles. . . such as electricity running out of a generator that tends to malfunction and limited access to internet and programs on hospital computers by the Ministry of Health. BUT this should be fixed in the next week or so. The hospital is in its final stages of a renovation. A new, bigger, stronger, generator will be up and running by next week. And letters and calls have been given to the Ministry to change our internet and program settings.

I have already started installing the database on some computers and done simple computer training with some of the staff. But so far, mostly, I have been going out with the hospital staff on village outreaches. It is really hard for most villagers to come into the hospital because of lack of transportation and money so the hospital comes to them. It is good for me to go out on the outreaches because it allows me to build relationships with the hospital staff, I see what the “real” needs are, and I get a chance to see all the islands and meet tons of people along the way.

We have been taking a truck and different boats to villages around the Lau group. When we get there the entire village (over the age of 18) comes to the community hall where we take height, weight, blood sugar level, blood pressure, and then have a nurse who hands out medicine and makes house calls. I have become an expert on taking people’s blood sugar levels. I always thought I was afraid of blood and needles. Turns out - I’m not. I’ve made the entire population of a village bleed (7 times so far)!Then I record the blood sugar levels in their water soaked medical file.

I am also working on a village cleanup campaign that we will run with village chiefs and basic first aid training for the health workers based in each village.

April - Does this post make you happy? Now, I will go back to the side items of my life. I think they tend to be more interesting. BUT upon reader request I can give you work updates too. That is how devoted of an author I am. I am a fan pleaser.

By the way - i sat in a helicopter today that has carried the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ed Norton, and the newest cast of the Bachelor. . .which will be airing at the end of July. (it was filmed mostly in Savusavu - the town I did my Peace Corp stint in). I try to avoid that show but maybe this season I will watch (at least once).