Cleanness is of paramount importance

After we purchased some rice for our camp we checked if everything is ok in the hospital. Today I was not completely satisfied with the cleanness of the medical staff, so we discussed the matter in front of the house. In general the crew works fine but from time to time you have to remember them what are the standards to be followed. - Mama Matata

RVH: Unveiling Plans of Expansion

ak. After four years in operation, the Rhein-Valley Hospital Foundation (and its board of directors) has decided it would like to do more for the people of Kasambara and Thugunui. Next year, they will commence construction of the new Dental and Optical Clinic to be able to provide more specialized medical services. Both dental and optical services are very much needed in rural Kenya, where cataracts or rotting teeth are often the only barrier preventing a person from leading a normal life. The new building will include a dental wing, an optical wing, a post-surgery in-patient room, staff residences, volunteer residences, a large kitchen and a staff eating area. Most of the medical equipment has already been generously donated by the Swiss military (much of it brand new), but the foundation is still seeking additional funds to help with building's construction.

Quiet Day to Catch Up

ak. Since it was a quieter day at the hospital, the staff took advantage of the free time to catch up on cleaning and doing administrative work. Although there is a daily protocol to keep things in order, since there are relatively few staff members, an extra day is sometimes required, especially after a series of hectic days. In the afternoon, Irene, one of the girls from the IDP camp came in because she had cut her thumb. It was also discovered that she was suffering from a severe case of conjunctivitis, or pink eye. She seemed unperturbed by the fact that she couldn't see out of one eye and was instead delighted to hear she didn't have to go to school tomorrow!

Kenyan Hot-Rod

ak. It was another busy day at the hospital. After a weekend of rain and colder temperatures, patients flooded in with flu and pneumonia-like symptoms. Luckily, all medical staff were on hand, so everything ran smoothly. At the end of the day, a funny incident occurred. Since Ruth was consumed with work at home, I had taken a taxi to the hospital in the morning. In the afternon, I was late meeting the taxi at the bottom of the hill (the 3km road is too rough for small sedans to traverse), so I ran the 3km to make up time. When I reached the bottom, heaving due to the thin 2200m air, I spotted this car. It looked so outrageous, I had to stop to take a picture. I then continued on to the main road since the taxi had not yet arrived. After 45 minutes of waiting and growing concern that it was getting dark, the taxi driver called me wondering where I was. He was parked at the bottom of the hill waiting for me. It turns out he had borrowed the outrageous car from his friend as his was in the shop for repairs. When I walked by and took the photo, he was peacefully sleeping in the back seat. We had a good laugh about the situation...and then ran out of gas 2km from the house!

Beautiful Baby Girl Born at the RVH

ak. It was an exceptionally busy Monday at the hospital today. Since Dr. Wanjara and Nurse Kennedy were on holiday, it was up to Nurse Victor, Nurse Mathew and the young Canadian intern to keep the show going! There were several interesting cases including a young boy who had been stabbed in the eye by a twig. When the boy arrived at the hospital, part of the twig was lodged in his cornea. After careful consideration whether or not the eye would have to be removed, Victor decided to remove the remaining shards of wood, which, it was later discovered, ended up saving the boy's eye. The busy day was concluded successfully when a beautiful baby girl was born at exactly 4:08pm.

Seeing themselves on photos ...

Today I had the opportunity and time to give the photos that Barbara Wieland made, to the refugees. They were all delighted to see themselves. In Thugunui they are not used to cameras and they are even afraid of being photographed because here in the wilderness people often think that some magic and negative powers are within the cameras. But once they get the photos, they are happy. - Mama Matata