Wednesday, August 01, 2018

Another year...

Today marks the first day of another year at Aberdeen Women's Centre! Yesterday, I completed my first year working as a doctor in the outpatient paediatric clinic. There was a lot of transition at the start, including a move to a new home, resuming clinical work and starting my online Masters in Public Health and at times I wondered if I would make it to the end of the contract. Thankfully, I did and I’ve decided to stay put for another year.  

Although there are parts of my work that are frustrating and challenging, like any job I suppose, the work I do in Aberdeen is also very rewarding. I have the unique opportunity to help children get better and advise and encourage the caregivers to provide healthier environments for their children, whether it’s through nutritional advice, encouraging them to bring their children for immunisations or teaching them how to prevent illness. It’s a privilege to work alongside a Sierra Leonean team and provide healthcare that makes a difference in the lives of children and families in Freetown.

Now that the rains have started, the clinic is even busier than usual and in the past three days alone we’ve treated over 400 patients. We are seeing more diarrheal disease, respiratory disease, as well as cases of severe malaria, in children of all ages. At times it’s scary to see just how sick these children can get but on the flip side, it is amazing to see how so many of them recover. I’m hoping for ongoing wisdom and energy for our team as we strive to help as many children as we can despite the craziness and long days. Here’s to another year at AWC.  

~ Act Justly. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly. micah 6:8 ~