St. Mary's Hospital, Monday

St. Marys’ Hospital, Monday

Working in Tanzania is described as “letting the flower unfold”. You can look at the bud, but you do not know what you will get when it is open, or how it will open. Organization means different things to Tanzanians and Americans.

Today was spent working with our interpreters and the hospital staff as we attempted to see the patients and decide what we could do to help them. The vast majority of our patients today were from the Masai tribe and most were in traditional dress. The women are garbed in beautiful fabric tied around them sarong style, most of them with babies slung on their backs. The jewelry in their ears tells one what their status in their tribe is. For example, they do not earn the right to string heavy jewelry through their lobes, creating large swinging holes, until they have their first child. They all shave their heads and are a very beautiful people. Many, but not all, of the men wear sarong style clothing, also and have carved clubs hanging from their belts.

It did not take very long before our doctors and other team members decided to take control of the flow of patients. Because our doctors are gynecologists, there are many surgeries that are not in their skill set. Many men came to us with hernias, genital problems and health issues that were amplified after their frequent bouts of malaria. Because so many sought treatment, it became clear very early that we had to prioritize the patients and see those that had the highest likelihood of being a good match with our doctors—the women. There was a bit of confusion and stubbornness from the Masai men as we made this transition, but doing so made it possible for us to triage all the women who came to us today. We have surgeries scheduled for tomorrow and will continue to do clinic with one doctor while the other two are in surgery.