Few second chances  

 
TB remains a real hidden problem in the communities and its a story we have covered many times previously.

This man had stopped treatment on feeling well and with inadequate monitoring (DOTS campaign) he soon developed drug resistant TB and for some months has been deteriorating at home with superadded infection.

He had returned to the governmental clinic some 60 km away to be told that as a defeater he had no recourse to further treatment. Without this he will certainly die. We are sending an appeal to the State department for primary care for clemency and pray this will help obtain medication in time given we cannot source TB drugs locally until next March when it may well be too late. Proper support and education would not see this situation arise.



A young lad collapses on the field outside the clinic, febrile and unconscious. Malaria rapid antigen test confirms acute malaria. Within 30mins he is cooled with a damp towel, administered I'm antimalarials and dextrose (malaria can dramatically lower blood sugar). He is a little anaemic and has diarrhoea. On beds either side of this boy another young child lies, one with dysentry, the other with malaria.

This is the bread and butter of the clinic’s day. The medicine is reasonably simple and straightforward, but immediate care saves lives, day after day. The community chairman told us that since almost all children are now surviving they have had to build a second primary school in the community.



The most powerful image from this year shows the essence of what we do, relational medicine, where we come alongside the suffering, those without hope. We may not always be able to cure, and where we are unable, we can show the love of Christ with compassionate care. Here Victory stands alongside our friend with TB, whilst his brother stands protectively on his left. The faces show the gravity of the situation.

There is also joy to show, Rose a senior worker stands with her daughter Vivianne, (a junior worker) and her new grand-daughter Benita on a Sunday before church.