Lucky 13- Handwashing, helicopters, and Handsets.

Another week down.  Celebration!!! A girl I've been called out to a few times this week , (PNG villager) and one who I've been trying to "sell" to doctors on Thursday Island, has finally left the island.  After temps in the low 40s all week, she developed an acute abdomen, and now the docs think it's abdominal TB. This poor kid (16yo) had only ever been on an aluminum tinny previously, and to load her and her mum into a chopper, with fear and excitement on her face was magic.  I am so relieved, I have watched her Hb drop from 57 to 31 in just 5 days ( Hb is the blood protein that carries oxygen around the body- in normal bodies it is 120-160 and is responsible for the red colour in our blood). So 31 is pretty bad!!! With TB the spleen starts to eat red blood cells which house the Hb.  She us now in s real hospital, and will get real treatment. I'm so happy.

Today I went to the school and addressed assembly. About 80 kids . I taught them three lessons. How to wash their hands and why. I left an alcohol based hand gel in each class. I also discussed the rummaging through the dump problem and talked about germs and worms.  Some of these kids are so full of worms and bacterial sores, that it takes really strong antibiotics to clear them out. The third lesson was about tropical ulcers. The smallest coral cut, scratched mozzie bite or skin scrape up here can become infected in no time, and resemble festering volcano like sores that discharge a fetid mucopuralent ooze. If not covered, the bacteria that infects them can infect surrounding healthy skin giving rise to rampant school sores.  These kids need routine antibacterial soap washes, and the sores must keep covered to minimize spread throughout the house. I told the kids this, and this afternoon at 3pm we got hammered at the clinic as children came in droves for ptomaines dressings to cover every spot!!! Primary health care gone mad. 

It is a long way from anywhere here, but I am ever so thankful for the telecommunications. My iPhone has access and without this these blogs would not be able to happen. Amongst the "lack of services" on this island, there us the stark contrast of bare footed people every where, and they all have a mobile phone... It is surreal. Im chatting to a group of kids under a coconut tree, and there are symphonies of ringtones going of all around me.  This place is truly a canvas brushed with colour.