This morning, for the first time in several months, I went for a run off of station back through the local village and along the river. The road was pockmarked by numerous rain puddles in potholes, a testament of the current rainy season. The sun was up but not yet streaming through the clouds, except where it alighted onto the distant mountains. Everywhere green leapt up to greet the new day and the air was fresh from the overnight rain.
People streamed along the road, some gathered to talk with neighbors, others headed to the market, and still others headed to their gardens with shovels and machetes. I passed an old man wearing a blue and pink snow suit a few sizes too small that reminded me of what my mom would ski in back in the 1990s. A group of kids wearing improvised head dresses of leaves and grass ran out on the road to wave enthusiastically as I passed. An older group of boys in their early teens headed to work in the family garden. An old woman held out her hand to shake mine, a tremulous and passionate greeting on her lips. Even the young men who are smoking and using betel nut give respectful greetings as we made eye contact and acknowledged one another.
And I remember why I am here, why each week I pour out my life in hours of work at the hospital and in admin, why it matters even though sometimes it is really hard. These people are so beautiful and kind, hardworking and industrious in the face of immense hardship and difficulty. It is a blessing to join my Savior in caring for them and learning from them.
The panicked look on one of our experienced labor and delivery nurses as I walked in the door one morning for rounds immediately shot my adrenaline up. “Oh good,” she said, “doctor we need you.” A mom had been referred from a nearby health center due to a retained twin. The baby was transverse and was starting to become distressed due to labor. I immediately began to do an assessment and was joined by our Obstetrician Dr Laura, also coming in for rounds that morning. My initial attempts to move the baby to a head down position were unsuccessful, but Dr Laura was able to grab the feet and bring the baby down into a breech position. I then helped to deliver the baby until only the head remained to be delivered. After a couple tense minutes of encouraging mom to push and positioning the baby, we finally delivered the baby. The baby needed some initial help breathing but soon was crying.
The last few months have been full. We have not had some of the major issues that came up at the end of last year (financial crisis, nearby tribal fights), but we have been trying to catch up from the disruptions that those caused. Personally, I have appreciated this season of Lent as a time to reflect more deeply on my faith, and the work Jesus did on the cross. I have gotten to do some enjoyable hikes (some with Stella) and continue to appreciate the beauty of this place.
I sometimes get asked whether I enjoy the administrative aspect of my job, and the answer is it depends on what I am doing. This ties into the other question I sometimes get, which is what do you actually do in administration? My position of Director of Medical Services has some concrete responsibilities, but also a handful of tasks that end up landing in my inbox because there isn’t another good place for them to go. These include hiring staff to our allied health and ancillary departments, supervising the physician staff of the hospital, overseeing the overall provision of clinical services, clinical governance, managing the budget for equipment and medical supplies, orienting volunteers, disciplinary issues, procurement of supplies in conjunction with our pharmacist, and reviewing hospital statistics and reporting to the government. Some of these tasks I quite enjoy, especially thinking about ways to improve the work of the hospital. Others can be stressful and difficult, particularly the disciplinary issues.
Please be praying for:
Strength and encouragement for the work
Unity among our team
Continued peace in the communities surrounding us
