Added to site: Mar 15
Arrived back from Haiti on Feb 27th and spent a day in Singapore airport waiting for the next flight to Medan at 7 pm. It was such a pleasure to get back to Margareth and Melion who has reached the stage of recognizing me even after 10 days absence and when she ran to greet me calling "Papa" I felt wonderfully happy.
Sunday in Medan mostly sleeping, paying the jet lag price as well as the 'trying to see as many movies as I could stay awake for on the airplane' price . The small times I was awake it was good to catch up with Melioni and and finding out the pleasures and dramas of Margareth trying to organize the playground construction in the first village of Ujung Batu on the west side of Tello.
Monday was taking a plane to Padang to do the police reporting I have to do.
Tuesday we go back to the police station with Aulia, my lawyer Pak Nas Dion's son and he explains that his father is in Jakarta and will be back next week. I am not sure what the police think of this arrangement!
We discuss the possibility of taking a policeman out with us to do maintenance on the helicopter and this is agreed to by the detective but he is too busy today, maybe tomorow, he says.
Wednesday; the policeman doesn't answer his teliphone or respond to messages so we go to the Bandara Tabing as we have implicit permission and are able to see the helicopter but I am not allowed to touch it. This was an order from the Air Force commander. Unfortunately I found the helicopter had both doors open, the protective canopy cover taken off and thrown in a corner and the engine cover open, so clearly someone is playing/touching the heli despite it being meant to be kept at Tabing for safety of the 'Evidence'
That afternoon Margareth, Melioni and I fly to Batam to ensure Margareth gets her ferry connection to Singapore and her flight home to new Zealand on Friday.
Thursday is spent in Batam relaxing, knowing that Margareth has no problems from here getting to Singapore for her New Zealand connection.
Friday , Mel and I wave goodbye to Margaret as she boards the ferry for the 1 hour trip to Singapore and the flight back to Auckand and Tauranga as Melioni and I take a flight back to Padang.
Saturday I’m straight back into remote clinics in the Pariaman district where although news of the Padang earthquake has left the world news, there are still thousands upon thousands of broken houses, with families struggling to live amongst the ruins.I see about 70 people in clinic, a constant queue of people from 11am to 6 pm. Plus it takes 2-3 hours to travel each way to the clinic from Padang. Meli accompanies me and is looked after by adults and children at the clinic and she generally has a fun time. As an aside I appreciate the automatic battery operated blood pressure machine I have been donated which gives a clear readout despite the clinic or traffic noise.
Sunday also a clinic day , again with a 2-3 hours drive to clinic and back.
Pak Yobana, who is a candidate for the upcoming Bupati election in June, provides us free transport to seriously affected areas, and puts up 'Vote Pak Yobana for Bupati' signs while I conduct a clinic.
I sure miss the volunteers at clinics, seeing patients, dispensing medicines, while I supervise and care for Melioni, and some of course entertained Melioni when the clinics became very busy. Still Melioni seems to adjust to the challenges in her life quickly, and is pretty good at finding an audience that is entertained by her as they watch over her.
Sunday evening saw very heavy rain and Monday after some urgent phone calls to Pak Yobana, we went to an area of poor houses, not too far beyond the Padang airport, where the heavy rains of 8 hours without a letup had flooded the draining creek and overnight almost 600 houses had chest deep water flowing through them. Fortunately no lives were lost and by the time we arrived on the day
after the water was subsiding , but there was ample evidence of damage and it was so disheartening for these poor people who are still little more than “survivors” of the Padang earthquake, to again have their meagre possessions lost or damaged in a flood !!
Our accommodation in Padang is also very poular with hordes of mosquitos and I try to control them by spraying with flyspray before getting onto bed I also have a mosquito repellent coil burning throughout the night. These measures sometimes allow me a couple of mosquito bite free nights. Individual variation is an amazing thing. While Margareth was here she was barely bitten while I am under constant attack, unless I wear repellant. Even while wearing long sleeved shirts and long trousers, mosquitoes often bite me through my clothes !! darn.
We spent two days at the flood area, seeing about 70 people each day.
Wednesday March 10th, Pak Yobana takes us to a remote part of Pariaman, with much earthquake damage. Due to the poor condition of the roads it takes 4 hours to get there and of course 4 hours to get back after a busy clinic. This means that after some clinics we don't arrive back at home until after 9 pm. Usually on these days, Melioni falls asleep on the ride home.
Most people at these clinics want the reassurance of a check up and free medicine of some sort. A free doctor with medicine is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these communities. Mostly I am treating respiratory illnesses, coughs and chest infections, but skin trauma with resulting infections, significant hypertension and abdominal colic also feature high on the list of illnesses.
Back in Padang in the evening I visit Rick Cameron's house, the home of Island Aid and restock with medicines from supplies that he was looking after for me. Thank you very much Rick and Island Aid. Unfortunately Rick was away but I hope to catch up with him soon.
Medications for pain are a well used item as the life that people lead here when they are poor means lots of hard physical labour so osteoarthritis of the knees and hips and back is a common feature and it is good to alleviate pain for some people even if it is for a limited time only. Hopefully the people become to know that there are effective medicines for their pains available today. Unfortunately for these diseases I am unable to offer a cure !
After a busy clinic on Thursday, where I saw 90 people, I was enjoying my sleep when I was woken by a sizeable earthquake which rolled me from side to side of the bed. I thought of running for the door but there seemed no further movement and I rapidly drifted back to sleep.I chide myself for being so laid back sometimes, as I should be running for the doorway and down the flight of 15 stairs to the ground outside.
Padang has had a very strong warning from experts that a much largaer earthquake than the one they recently experienced, is very likely to happen within the next 30 years. In geological terms times this is a warning of an immediate earthquake due anytime now !!!
Another busy clinic on Friday and back home to sleep at the comfortable house of my kind hosts Pak Hendry and Yesika. They have 2 children at home Bella and Argi but they are happy to host me. Yesika is Yobana's sister.
Saturday 13th, pak Yobana sees that I am working very hard with the poor communities he takes me too, and calls today a rest day for Melioni and me. It is a pleasure to have a day to catch up on washing and spend more time playing with Melioni, sorting out medicines for upcoming clinics and generally relaxing.
On Sunday morning, Yesika tells me of a 5.5 earthquake in Nias during the night. No clear reports of damage are to hand. She is aware I have booked a flight for Melioni and myself to fly there on Wednesday to relocate the ambulance from the Miga Beach Hotel to the Teluk Dalam, Stella Maris Hospital.