Ishfara clinic visit

We set off for Ishfara this morning at 7AM in an old but shiny silver Mercedes Taxi. It was two hours on good roads east past the huge Kairakum reservoir and then gradually up hill through orange and purple desert.

The purpose was to meet the clinical team at the Poly clinic as they are about to start a teaching program in child health for 200 rural family doctors

Here are most of the local team. I wrote down names but only phonetically and did not get everyone as people came and went. However in the picture L-R are : a GP , a Speech therapist, physiotherapist, paediatric neurologist; myself; a psychistrist, a psychologist and Saboat the head of the NGO which has organised and funded the training. Introductions were made and then everyone got down on the floor to plan the training sessions

This is a large sunny physiotherapy room. It was cold as the hospital central heating was not working but there were two electric fires doing their best. They said they expected the power to go off at mid day. The clinic itself is bare concrete but this room is carpeted and clean and every one had shoes off. See if you can spot who was given the pink slippers in the photo above.

Then  a mother came in for some physiotherapy for her son who has Cerebral palsy. The therapist has a very warm coat and after putting him through his paces they asked me to examine him and discuss his treatment. 

This 4 years old girl came next. She also had cerebral palsy although it mostly affected he legs. She had beautiful red boots but we had a good discussion about how to give her more support for her ankles and help her to stand and walk as she probably would be able to in the future. 

Then we had lots more discussion about what would be done if someone had a fit: and should they be allowed to have therapy if they had a tendency to have seizures. 

And from this more discussion about schooling for both these children. Local schools are not set up to take children with disabilities and particularly those who have seizures. Everyone knows this must change but it is going to take some time.

And after two hours it was back in the Merc; job done. Here is a last shot of  walking away from the front of the poly clinic. 

L-R: Shoira, an english teacher at the university who translates for me: Saboat my boss: Ramo the local administrator who is sorting the teaching and travel logistics; and Manija who does the NGO finances

I was really happy to make this visit because I was finally face to face with the reason Saboat wanted me out here. That is to Beef up this training program: