First Medical Camp

Today we spent the day running a medical camp in Athi River. It was our first medical camp since we arrived here in Kenya and it was a whirlwind to say the least. The medical camp involved us setting up four stations which each included an interpreter, NP student, patient and NP provider. We also had an intake station where vitals were taken and patients triaged, and a pharmacy station where patients could pick up their medications right on site. We were able to see patients from a few months old to the elderly and saw everything from cough to more acute concerns like a penguin with a tummy ache. We are too tired to do a final count tonight, but know we saw at least 150 patients today!

We were grateful for donations of reading glasses as we set up an eye assessment station and were able to provide a lot of patients with much needed reading glasses. The day started out a little slower as we students were “learning the ropes,” but quickly sped up as the line grew significantly longer of patients waiting to be seen. We caught on just as it was getting dark, but continued to work into the night with flashlights and headlamps to make sure we were able to see all of those that were waiting.

A daily reinforced lesson here in Kenya has been appreciation and perspective. We have been constantly reminded this trip of just how easy we have it in the United States. The needs of those here in Kenya where medical care, food, clean water and shelter are not a guarantee are daily struggles that many of us will never truly understand. We hope this blog will give you a small peak into the immense poverty that exists in this world, not so you will have crippling guilt, but so you will have empowering guilt that will force you into action. This trip has propelled 15 more people into heightened knowledge and emotional attachment with and of the communities here. We are so blessed to have been given this experience as it will most definitely have a ripple effect many years after the trip is already over. Many of us have already said this will not be our last trip to Africa!

~Emily