Lingira

We have been on this island for 2 weeks now. It is a 2 hour boat ride from the mainland. Each day we commute to other islands by boat to run out clinics, do health education and immunisation. - This is a definate improvement on travelling on the M6 every day (except of course when it rains!) The ride each day is made even more entertaining by the fact that we all have to be carried into the boat - the water contains a nasty disease that is rife amongst the locals, but anyone who can afford the 10p to be lifted into the boat does so. (James is 6 ft 2 in and the Africans are generally small, so that is always worth watching!)
We are going out to places where there is limited medical support. We are the only healthcare workers that they will see except the immunisers for months. so we are offering basic healthcare for things such as worms, malaria, malnutrtion, dehydration and diarrhoea. The more serious cases such as meningitis and renal failure we can only give some symptom relief and prayer and recommend that they go somewhere else for further help. We know that this is unlikely to happen due to their poverty.

We are here for 1 more week.