CHAD Clinic

Yesterday (Monday) Shivani, Jen and I tried out the CHAD mobile clinic for the day. One of the physicians we were with described CHAD as more of the primary care facilities vs the CMC hospital where all the specialty facilities are located. CHAD has a permanent location and also a mobile unit that travels to local neighborhoods and villages to see patients every week. Most of the patients have chronic diseases as well as a large number of pregnant women for monthly ante-natal check ups. If there is larger problem that the mobile department cannot handle themselves or via ambulance EMT, they are referred to CMC hospital.

The village we went to was only a short bus ride from the CHAD clinic. The van pulls up to a line of waiting people, all bringing their own little medical record card that they bring to the physician each week for their check up. The intern was set up at a little table and took BP and listened to any problems they were having and then wrote new prescriptions for them. The patient then took their slip of paper to the bus where the nurses were administering medicines and vaccines from the back of the bus. In the front of the bus, another doctor saw all the pregnant women. They came in, got weighed, got their BP taken, a quick physical exam, and any referrals if needed.

The whole process was very interesting, to see how a team of 6 people and a van load of meds could take care of about 70 patients. Some complications arise, such as a few patients with similar names who could not recognize their own chart and so received the wrong medications. The doctor told us that has happened before and they get patients back who have been taking someone elses medicine

The clinic lasted till about 2pm and then a whole group of local children started gathering around us out of intrigue while we waited for the doctor to finish up. We goofed around with the kids for about an hour, making faces, taking pictures, letting them play with our cameras. It was fun to finally be able to play with some kids! One of them looked like he was right out of the Little Rascals. Hopefully I can post pictures of them later!