Dr. Dan, the pediatrician, is here and we had lots of kids for him to see. He did really well the first day, working with refugees in our make shift clinic. Kids coming in with asthma. The cold season is just starting and the fires to keep warm have started exacerbating their respiratory issues. The bed [...]
Today was sick baby day. Our pediatrician, Dr. Dan, arrives this evening but they couldn’t wait. Lots of fevers and coughs and the cold rains have not yet begun. The kids all have rashes - chicken pox, scabies and bed bug bites are rampant. We set up another tent for discharge, a nice big ten person [...]
The Flying Seagull Circus is back after two days off. They are amazing, working with these refugee kids. The noise level is intense but it’s all laughter and giggles and how can that be bad? Karen’s HUG and RUB clinic is very popular and sometimes I think it is the best we can do for [...]
The team is working so well together. I would not say smooth going … but great creativity and resourcefulness and somehow we are still smiling for our patients. There is a chicken pox epidemic. So many kids with fevers and pox, they are miserable and can you believe there is NO CALAMINE lotion on the island! [...]
A day off yesterday! Some of the team got to swim in the Aegean in a lagoon by a waterfall. Tama and I had a meeting with MSF, restocked supplies and had a video conference with Omar, who is on Lesvos at Moria camp. He said there are now over 16,000. The camp capacity is 3,500. [...]
74 patients today, some pretty intense stories. I struggled today between absolute frustration and horror at man’s inhumanity to man. Both from war and torture and for allowing people to live in this desperate situation and allowing there to be nothing done. It’s just so wrong. We had several sick babies today and I was [...]
Day 3: There was a huge crowd when we arrived. So many refugees on this island and so little resources. Again, only one doctor in the Greek clinic who is not an MD but a microbiologist and one ngo the Med Equality team from France. There are over 6,500 people here. Alex from Ghana, who [...]
Second day and we saw 78 patients, sent three to the hospital and managed wounds, injuries, and all levels of ptsd, abdominal and respiratory issues, chronic hypertension, pneumonia, etc. It was BUSY BUSY BUSY. It is a challenging way to practice medicine - we all have to be extremely flexible, creative and CALM. To add [...]
This is our refugee team setting up the exam rooms with us. Despite the conditions here there were smiles and laughter setting up these modules without directions. They are really happy to have something to do. They are smart and restless while sitting around waiting to start a life. These folks are our French and [...]
Myself and five team members leave tomorrow for the Samos Refugee Camp. Three members are already there and more are leaving at the end of this week. As I run around doing last minute errands, trying to cram more supplies into each bag so we don't waste an ounce of weight, I am anxious like [...]
