Another cold and rainy day but the jungle clinic saw over 60 patients. One woman who had pneumonia was in the camp for 2 months and had NO COAT. She came in with a fever coughing and shivering so badly she couldn’t use her hands. We got her inside our van and Riikka made a mad dash to Omar’s distribution center to find her a coat. Mark treated her pneumonia. We gave her hot c rescue and had no choice but to send her back to her cold wet tent. I slept in my sleeping bag with 2 blankets and an electric heating pad.
Today we saw more complex issues. Several likely TB plus lots of suspected parasite infections, gastric issues, hepatitis and old broken bones from beatings and torture that will never heal. Many people complained about “rumbling” in their intestines. I think it was hunger. Many people asked us for food – the food lines are several hours long for unpalatable food and it runs out daily. So not everyone eats.
In Moria there was resilience, hope, despite the conditions. Here there is a feeling of depressed desperation. I just found out that the first interview for an arrival is scheduled for 2021. That means they are trapped here in these conditions until this interview which is the first step in asylum or deportation.
Mark just said we are bailing out a sinking boat. Speaking of boats – 50 people arrived from Turkey the night before last in a super downpour. They arrive, get registered at the camp and are given a sleeping bag. That is considered shelter! They need to find someone who will let them shelter in an already crowded tent or just sleep in the jungle and get wet and cold. Welcome to the world of refugees. Omar will get tents for them as soon as he knows who they are. The tents are small, not waterproof. The pallets are slatted and cardboard is gold.
This work is so hard so heartbreaking. We are already exhausted but we are committed to continue and do the best we can.
Thursday our jungle clinic will be for women only. Saturday we take a day off.
