Bahai Beach 45

Bahai Beach 45

Busy days

February 22nd, 2007

The heat strikes.

Mr Mathias had been presented with a precious gift. A minute gazelle. Left on it’s own the animal passed away. The sun has started to burn again. Winter is over!

The warm weather will make it able to sleep outside for all, but during the day there is no place to find shelter. Fikiri our new logistician was born on the lakeside so I will propose to him to open a swimming club at lake Carriari. It should be fun splashing around in the main water reservoir for the entire region.

Today the water collection truck broke down so we have been with out water since the morning. Solutions are rapidly found and one of the other trucks was dispatched to arrange the water situation.

Flies adore this heat and today visit to the market will likely end in a purchase of a flyswatter. Sometimes you see on television a lethargic kid too weak to swipe of the flies of his face. It is not a matter of lethargy the flies are just too persistent.

Oure Cassoni has received visitors from WHO to ascertain what skin diseases are causing mouth and head lesions in the camp. The doctor and the lab technician were well experienced in outbreak control and I realized again that one of the things I like most about medicine are our friendly parasites.

Worm, virus, protozoa, bacteria bring em on. I will have them for breakfast. The interaction between them and us. The mediating immune system I find it inspiring. Spent a large portion of last night reading up on obscure disease like bejel. As I wrote in the last post I am thinking about different paths for after this mission. I feel an urge to absorb some more knowledge; epidemiology, healing, medical anthropology. I will see what appeals most and how I can combine it with work or perhaps be a full time student again.

In the camp in the mean time there are some health practices deleterious to the health of babies. Consider cutting the uvula (the thing dangling from your palate as one. Common believe is that when a baby vomits it is because of that thing dangling and irritating him/her. One might as well have it cut with a razorblade. A young baby is now admitted in the hospital trying to deal with this problem. The WHO doctor told me that in the regions he had worked this was the prime cause for malnutrition of babies.

On Monday we will have a superstar visitor (John I guess you know) I shall happily write about the visit on Monday. It seems the Timster, Marckie Mark and myself are all geared up. It far outshines the visit of the American ambassador yesterday. He came by plane to see what the situation is like for the refugees, local community and humanitarian aid workers.

My chooks are on the way to have offspring I hope. It has been a while since the two of them are hatching eggs and it seems the cats have become accustomed to the chickens.

Our weekly meeting should start now and afterwards I am sure to visit the market. I have money in my pocket for the first time since 3 weeks and I will go on a mango spree. Yahoo.

Catch you later,

ashis brahma

Mango’s not available but I had BBQ meat and a guava drink.