DAY 4: 06/12/12

The windows were creaking, doors banging together viciously and the wind whistling through the small crevices in the wooding wall separating the classrooms. I had been startled out of my cot by the commotion resulting from the ferocious thunderstorm taking place at the early dawn at 0300. I got up, surveyed our immediate surroundings and when I was satisfied that everything was in order, I took some fever medication to mitigate the intensifying feverish conditions and went back to bed. I woke up again at 0530 and to my utter surprise saw a crowd waiting in the rain. This was the last day of clinic on the mission and evidently the locals were anxious to be seen as early as possible. We had our early morning muster as usual at 0700 and discussed a number of topics. Among those discussed was the fact that we will be working shorter hours that day because we were scheduled to leave early the following morning and therefore had to have enough daylight to wrap up our operations on the Island.  We were much more efficient on this day and delivered treatment to a lot of patients. We still had a lot of the medications we brought to the mission left and decided to be very generous by filling maintenance medications like lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide for a 6-month supply instead of the 30 and 90-day supply we had been dispensing to the patients hitherto. We wrapped up operations for the day at 1400 and got together as a group for our afternoon huddle. We deliberated on the day’s activities and the mission as a whole. Our operations commander conveyed to us at this meeting that we had treated in excess of 500 patients that day. There was however a sizeable crowd still gathered outside who could not be seen and looked very disappointed and even agitated. It was decided at this meeting that we will distribute the remaining supplies and some nonprescription medications to the waiting crowd, to ensure that everybody that made an effort to attend our clinic will at least get some sort of care. The three clinics therefore gathered their remaining supplies of sunglasses, toothbrushes, toothpastes, dental floss and other like items. The pharmacy department also augmented this impressive collection with the remaining multivitamins, shampoos and some other nonprescription medications. We set up stations for the various supplies available and ushered the crowd through the stations from the entrance in an orderly fashion. This way the each patient moved from station to station picking up toothbrushes, sunglasses, vitamins and other supplies displayed and was ushered out of the camp after visiting the last station. It proved to be very efficient and key to ensuring that everybody was served in an orderly fashion. I was at the dental station demonstrating to the locals the use of the dental floss. The sight of me baring my teeth and flossing away elicited a chuckle or outright laughter from anyone who saw my demonstration.

                                                             Demonstrating flossing

The pharmacy team went back to the pharmacy, cleaned the place up and packed up the remaining medications. We then joined other members of the team to break down our tents, together with some other heavy gear we had on the site and transport them to the helicopter landing site for our departure early the next morning.


We enjoyed some delectable Indonesian cuisine for lunch at the Mayor's house. We got together with some of the locals who had still gathered at the camp after lunch, took pictures and played volleyball with them. We had become very attached to a number of the locals who lived on the school compound in the past three days. For dinner, the resident doctor treated us to a buffet of authentic Indonesian food. Among the food served was rice cooked in coconut juice, noodles and fried whole pork. We came back to our camp some few hours later to witness a long table lined up with even more food at the forecourt. A local church had decided to organize a farewell church service for us and had all brought food for us, as part of the service. There was a glut of food for us today! After a brief sermon, a speech from the Island’s mayor and another from our operation commander we were invited to sample the meals available. Most of us were too full to take another bite but nevertheless got up for some few scoops in order not to offend our hosts. We kept the fun going by singing songs with Ray, one of our interpreters displaying such dexterity on the guitar. I went to bed that night on a very full stomach thinking about the magical three days I had spent on this island and all the wonderful people I have encountered on this mission. I do not know whether we will cross paths again or whether I will ever be coming to this part of the world again but I do know that the memories and experiences I have attained on this mission will forever be etched on the tablets of my heart!