Pettygrove Progress: Village Clinic Visit

This week I had the opportunity to go to a village clinic. The clinic consists of a Health Center(UHC) and the SIL Clinic. The UHC side is government funded. The government supplies medications and pays health care workers who are Papua New Guineans. The SIL side is for ex-pats or missionaries that live on center who are not Papua New Guineans. The two sides work together in several aspects. The SIL doctors see patients who are referred to them or answer any questions the workers may have about a situation. The xray machine, EKG and lab tests are available for a fee. I have been able to observe on the UHC side but my use of the language, Tok Pisen, is limited. So I enjoy observing and trying to assist to learn more.

UHC is responsible to go out to nine different communities in the area. We take the ambulance with supplies. The visits are basically for the children. We weigh, immunize, and treat illnesses and wounds. Each person has their own health care book with their medical records that they are responsible to bring with them. The workers fill out the book with their assessment and treatment plan. They go out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for three weeks a month and repeat it every month February through November. Sometimes the rains prevent visits because the roads are too wet.