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.
