For these
I am thankful (#19).....
an EKG machine
and all
the other wonderful equipment we’re able to provide for the people of rural
Paraguay. Jeff has the only EKG,
ultrasound, and basic lab work within an hour’s drive.
I have
been reminded again these past couple weeks that medical care here just isn’t
the same as in North America.
Our dear
friend’s child has been in the hospital 5 hours away for close to 2 weeks. The doctors think he has a tumor in his
intestines, but because the doctors are
all on strike, no one has come in to interpret the CAT scan findings. Please be praying for him and his family.
Jeff
attended to a 3 year old with cerebral edema from diabetic ketoacidosis. He ended up going unconscious at our house
while the grandma was out trying to find a ride to the hospital an hour away. Our town ambulance has been broken for quite
a while now. They were able to get a
ride in a police truck. We were very
worried for him, but he came back home after a few days full of energy. The family has no idea what tests were run on
their child while in the hospital and what any of the results were. They were sent home with no information,
medication, or anything helpful.
The doctor
in our town did not renew his contract, so as of this week, Jeff is again the
only physician for 3,000 people. The
doctor in the neighboring town (where we have been going weekly) also did not
renew his contract. Several thousand
depend on that health post. We’re
praying that the government puts other doctors in their stead, but there is no
guarantee.
A 17 year
old in her 8th month of pregnancy came in with really swollen ankles
and high blood pressure. Because of signs
of pre-eclampsia, Jeff sent her to Caazapa (an hour away). A week later we were playing volleyball
outside and heard buzzing sound that. Everyone immediately stopped the game and ran
into the street. Word trickled down to
us that the young gal had died. While the
young girl was in Cazaapa, she had received no treatment. Finally they sent her to Asuncion where they
took the baby by c-section. The
following day she went into shock and died.
What we were hearing was the sound of wailing. Mourning had begun 2 blocks away. .
The
following day I found myself crying at the burial and hugging the mother tight. The baby, praise God, is strong and healthy
and will be raised by her grandmother.
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