#6- consults with ocean views

Consults with Ocean views. I've looked in more ears and throats in the last two days than I had in the previous 2 years. A big difference with this health care model and that in mainland Australian metropolitan areas, is that, here I need to be paternalistic. Now I think I'm good at that. " let me TELL you what you should do..." but providing health care here is a whole lot more..." now you listen to me!!!" Treating kids with throat infections, ear infections, infected boils and sores requires that once I've given an antibiotic, they must come back to see me tomorrow. This is no different on the mainland, but here, reliability is very poor, so part of my job is to grab a local health worker and jump in the ute, and go find the kid to bring them back to the clinic. I feel like a street sweeper / beachcomber. I had heard this before I came up here. And I had mixed feelings. I've always thought "I'll meet u half way, I'll give u care, but u must turn up to appointments and take some responsibility!!" . but now I am immersed in the job, I see that this outreach is good for me to get a glimpse at their life and promote trust from the locals. It is also damage control. The simple skin infections, scabies, tonsillitis needs heavy survalence or the Bacteria that causes these infections can cause severe joint, heart and kidney failure. This condition is Acute Rheumatic fever, it is the biggest killer of indigenous children. It is only seen in third world. If we don't fetch these people for check ups, they can get very very sick. With horrible heart disease and jerky fitting like movements. Some kids come back to the clinic for followup checks, but I collect those who don't! It gets sad when you have to comb the beach, and dingis/ boats for people who slept there overnight because they had nowhere to sleep. Most PNG nationals can stay with locals , but often a mum, dad, and 2-3 kids are all sleeping under a tarp in a metal boat, with their sick child. I sometimes just do the check up on the beach so I don't have to feel the gut wrenching guilt of sending them back to nothing. ... But they are happy! So happy to have so little, and so appreciative for anything you do. It is a good job! Loving your neighbors .