Medical Clinic

How about we take a quick ride back in time to March when the Sedona-miz Dar Chebab played host to a week long free medical clinic serving the needs of both Sedona-miz and the mountain villages surrounding.

I admit I sort of dropped the ball in telling you all about this in a timely manner, but the last month has been a whirlwind, so my apologies. Back to the point, however. So back around the second week of March, a team of three doctors, around eight nurses, and five or so general helper-outers from America hopped on board an airplane headed for Sedona-miz. They were invited by a local ex-pat couple who have been working in medical outreach for sometime here in Morocco. Every year they try and bring out either a dentist or doctor to help the sickly & far reaching ends of the village. They coordinated with two associations I work with here on a regular basis and after persuading the Mudir to allow us to use the Dar Chebab grounds exclusively for a week, we were in business.

We saw on average 150 patients a day who were composed of mostly women and children - we assume the men were either at work or too embarrassed to come to American women with their, ahem, hashuma problems. Over the course of five days we saw everything from the common cold and allergies to head tumors, full body rashes, and more nether-region problems than I could keep count of. If there's one thing I know Peace Corps has got to keep working on here in Morocco, it's SIDA (AIDS) and STI education. Half of these women didn't even know what their problems were or how they possibly could have gotten them. Let's just say I got to know a little more information than I needed to know about my neighbours and extended host-family members.

All in all, it was a productive and successful week with only a few setbacks due to the weather conditions (within the week it went from hailing golf balls to sunny and 90 degrees). The team from America were a wonderful array of young nurses and jet-setting development workers. Met some great people I hope to stay in contact with for sometime to come. With over 720 patients seen and treated, it was one of the more gratifying weeks I've had in Morocco lately.

The Moroccan half of the team, including me, who helped translate symptoms and treatment instructions between the doctors and village patients

The waiting tent outside of the Dar Chebab. You'd swear The Beatles were playing Sedona-miz the way these Berber ladies were storming the gates.

Inside the waiting area before being instructed to go to one of the doctors.

(FYI - behind the curtain lies the Gyno room. Forever is that instilled in my memory.)

Doctor checking out a young boy's ear infection. I couldn't exactly take photos of the tumors being removed discretely. You'll have to settle for the excitement of an ear exam.

In addition to exams, the American team brought suitcase upon suitcase of medication to prescribe to those in need. (Most important - Flinstone vitamins I say.) The only people against handing out free meds were the local pharmacies, who apparently had little to no business for almost a month after... whoopsies.