June 2013 - Oshwal Centre

~ Sierra Leone Medical Camp ~
doctors were giving us prescriptions before we were
even ready for them.
As lunchtime approached, the sun was rising and it
was becoming very hot and humid. We were very
lucky to be given delicious meals that were cooked
by the local volunteers and general volunteers from
London, which included shak rotli, rice and dhal,
pasta and soups. As soon as lunch was eaten we
were back in the hospital, there was always
something that needed to be done or someone that
needed help.
My job was to not only be in the pharmacy
dispensary but also assist the various doctors in
seeing patients, measuring blood pressure and
testing children for Malaria. We came across so
many malnourished babies in the hospital, where we
began treatment with Oral Rehydration Salts. For
one patient who was due to undergo surgery, I even
had to formulate intravenous antibiotics. There was
one occasion, where we went for a walk and came
across a group of children playing, one of whom had
fractured his arm. Being poor, his family could not
afford for him to see a doctor so we took him back to
this hospital to plaster cast his arm.
It was inspirational to see the volume of patients
who were suffering from various, life-threatening
illnesses. They never complained, kept smiling and
continued with their day-to-day lives. Even as the
days became longer and more tiring as they went
on, we were still ready as ever each morning to help
the people of Sierra Leone. It was a pleasure to treat
the patients and to also work with, and learn from
the other healthcare professionals.
My goal was to go to Sierra Leone to try and help
find and implement life-saving solutions for the
patients. I saw first-hand how the treatment made a
difference to the patients and as a result, the
patients were very appreciative towards us. This
gave us the motivation to work together in often
emotionally demanding situations where there were
very limited resources.
I couldn’t believe how fast our time went in Sierra
Leone. On our last day, we left Yonibana early in the
morning and drove to Freetown where we spent the
afternoon looking around in the town and walking on
the beach, before we got on our flight back to reality,
back to life in London.
In the space of just 8 days we saw over 3000
patients whilst working in the hospital. Some of
these patients had come from neighbouring villages,
whilst others had travelled 88 miles from Freetown.
They queued for hours in the heat without any
complaints, just to have some time with a healthcare
professional.
My experience from Sierra Leone made me realise
how fortunate I am to live in a house with such
‘basic’ amenities like hot water and fresh food. The
people of Yonibana had so little yet lived so happily.
Reflecting back on the trip I am thankful to have met
so many wonderful and inspirational people; not only
the doctors and nurses but the courageous people
of Sierra Leone. I would like to thank Better Lives
Foundation for giving me the opportunity of going
out there to give something back. It was definitely
rewarding and is something I would recommend to
anyone.
Oshwal Youth Magazine of O.A.U.K. 5 June 2013 Edition