Monday: The outreach team drove three hours to a village in the central region. The rain poured down as we screened 100 people inside a church. I knew I would be staying in the village for a few nights, so I was initially apprehensive about my accommodation. However, we lodged at a comfortable inn, and my fears of living in a mud hut were quashed.
Tuesday: I had an omelette with beans and toast for breakfast. It was an optimistic start to the day. We screened 150 people at another local church. Overall, my communication skills improved while I was in Ghana. Giving instructions to people who speak a different language was tricky at first, but I quickly adapted some efficient methods. We advertised the next day's outreach over the van's loud speakers on the drive to supper that night.
Wednesday: The announcements worked, and we screened 250 patients on outreach. What blew my mind was the amount of time people were willing to wait around to see the doctor. Could you imagine showing up to an appointment at 8:00am, only to see the doctor at 4:30pm? That's what most of these people did! The patience they displayed in waiting their turn illustrated how much they valued the service.
Thursday: We drove back to the city in the morning. Lian and I observed surgeries all afternoon. Unite For Sight graciously provided a drive to the eye clinic for the village people with ailments such as cataracts. Pictured below is the outreach team standing with some patients:
A major barrier to health care in the Third World is lack of transportation. Unite For Sight eliminates this barrier by travelling to the villages on outreach, and also providing transportation for those who require surgery. This way, health care is being delivered to those who need it most.
It was an enjoyable experience working with the people in the village this past week.
I am going to write a final entry tomorrow to sum up my month in Ghana. I appreciate you following along with the blog.
Sincerely,
Adam
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