Another day alone in the Blanchard Clinic. There was no shortage of patients although we were running out of medications. A child came with periorbital cellulitis but we had no antibiotics suitable for children. There was no sterile water to reconstitute ceftriaxone for an intramuscular injection. I finally gave her a dose of cephalexin dissolving a capsule in some clean water and she was to return for an injection tomorrow.
There seemed to be endless string of patients and the day was rather exhausting with us running out of water and no lunch. This reminded me of my time in the rural area of Mtwara, Tanzania when it just went through a severe drought and there was a lack of food. When I first whipped out my sandwich on my first day at the Ligula Hospital ground, I was soon surrounded by children and adults watching me eating my lunch. I gave up lunch for the duration of my stay, only eating two meals a day.
In the evening, Samuel came and brought his x-ray that he had at the Israel Hospital. He had a facial fracture, probably an inferior orbital fracture that entrapped one of his eye muscles thus causing him to have double vision. The doctor would call him when they had a plastic surgeon in their hospital. I do hope he will regain normal vision soon.
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