Sep 20 at 12:13a.m.
Monday 1st August - Dr Claire finally arrives in Norsup and the three of us bundle into a 4WD truck with an open back and drive to Tisman, along with 20 other people in the vehicle!!! The roads are no better than they were seven years ago and we experience a few showers on the way. We arrive late afternoon and meet Nurse Tom at the Tisman Health Dispensary and settle into the clinic, where we are also staying. After dinner with Nurse Tom and his parents, we hold a small evening clinic. Conditions seen included a nasty Cellulitis of a foot, Abdominal Ulcer, sleeping problem, hearing problem and B/P checks. With no electricity in the clinic, torches and a kerosine lantern were invaluable!!!
Tuesday 2nd August - Busy clinic begins at 6.15am and continues with 47 people seen - illnesses from Tb and Malaria, to some people who cry when they look at the sun!!! Teeth and gum problems were a huge problem and many severely damaged teeth were extracted under local anaesthetic. We finish the clinic at 6pm in the dark.
Wednesday 3rd August - After a morning clinic in Tisman starting at 5.45am where we saw 39 patients, we pack up our supplies and travel to Aulua, where there is only an Nurse Aid - Lilly, at the Clinic. The truck arrived there at nightfall and after a delicious meal of laplap by torchlight, we sleep in the Clinic.
Thursday 4th August - 107 people seen at the Aulua Health Dispensary Clinic. Our most serious patient appeared to have cancer of the vagina with much bleeding and was referred to Norsup Hospital. Many more teeth problems and more teeth extractions performed. Another night sleeping in the clinic.
Friday 5th August - While Margaret and Claire continued clinic work in Aulua, Nurse Tom and I caught the 4am truck to Norsup to enable me to pay for flights, and to see Rosie the Provincial Health Director. Tom and I returned to Aulua late that afternoon. Luckily Margaret and Claire had everything packed up ready to put on the truck and we left Tom at Aulua, while we joined Nurse Charlie in the back of the truck to drive to Lamap - a couple of hours away on deeply rutted roads. Nurse Charlie was one of the nurses TroppoDoc had brought to New Zealand for upskilling and he had stayed at Margaret's house in Gisborne for the 3-4wks of training, when I was the doctor at Norsup Hospital from 2000-2004. It was great to see him again now and he was so pleased to see Margaret and me once again. After arriving at Lamap in the dark, we stay at the hospital there and share crackers and peanut butter for dinner. Was great catching up with some of the staff we had worked with 7yrs ago.
The picture shows Dr Derek and Dr Claire during a clinic at Tisman with Nurse Tom assisting.