More at the Clinic

Although we are still working on completing our papers for our temporary residence, in the last three weeks we have been able to spend more time working at the clinic and beginning our job as coordinators. Rebecca and Grace are both here too so now all 4 of us can begin working together. This weekend we went out to the clinic for a couple of days to complete an inventory during the days the clinic was closed.

No escaping them...on the drive out to clinic we pass through at least 4 toll booths! Thankfully you only have to pay at the first one and show your "ticket" at the others....and as long as you save your ticket you don't have to pay on the way home!

Most of the drive from Santa Cruz to Palacios is on a nice paved road (however some of the road is a one lane highway, to pass you have to go into oncoming traffic...I drove on it yesterday with a stick shift car, somewhat terrifying). However once you near the town we get to drive on this dirt road for about 7 or 8 miles.

Once on the dirt road its very common to see cows or horses right along the side and chickens or dogs in the middle of the road necesitating some honking to get them out of the way

Sign outside of the clinic

 The house we stay in when we are in Palacios is connected to the clinic; the house is the building on the left in this picture; you can see a little of the clinic in the right

Another picture of the property with slightly more of the clinic in view; in the back you can see one of our two horses....although the last time I rode a horse I broke an arm hopefully I'll get to try it soon

For you Donovan; a sign that the horses were on the road....they also leave numerous presents on the soccer field.

A view of the "soccer field," it's pretty nice and Don Pepe said we don't have to really worry about snakes here because it's kept so short; however there is no net in the goal and if you notice the brush behind it is not kept so short....

Some views from inside the clinic

Without patients

The lab; here Marvin can do basic blood and urine tests and take specimens to send to Santa Cruz for additional analysis. We're in the process of trying to find additional supplies for the lab in order to increase the types of tests Marvin can perform....this task is somewhat difficult as one of the chemicals needed is strongly regulated here because it is reportedly used in the production of cocaine

One of the exam rooms; this one also has the EKG machine in it, I'm practicing making sure I get all of the leads in the right place so I can start doing this with patients

One waiting area

In most of the waiting areas there are posters hanging made by health promoters to educate patients on different topics including nutrition, STDs, exercise, etc.

The pharmacy, the jefes wanted us to inventory all of the meds so we spent the last two days counting all of the medications in the clinic; more than 350,000 in total....with 5 people working it took us more than 9 hours to complete....but now we have it!

David hard at work putting the inventory into the computer; on clinic days this is the desk where patients check in with the nurses.