Today we visited Makarie CHP to talk to CHWs and nurses in charge. One of the CHWs had been working since 2012, and the other two since 2017. All three of them had walked around 8 miles to talk to us today. The challenges they face as a CHW are no access to the free line to make phone calls, having to assist deliveries at night with little light and transportation. When we told them about our business model, they told us that the MOH had previously tried to sell Oncho tablets for 200 Leones and it wasn’t well received. The tablets treat river blindness. No one in their villages felt the need to buy one even though it was a treatment for symptoms some were suffering with. They didn’t see the need to pay for something when they have been receiving free healthcare. This was important for us to hear because our current business model will not work if the community members feel this way. Sensitization and our training sessions are very critical for the villages we are trying to reach so they understand the importance of disease screening.
Pictured: The three CHWs we spoke to
Later, we spoke to the nurse in charge who has been working at the CHP for 10 years. She told us that they lack equipment for deliveries and vaccine storage. She told us that they do not screen at this CHP, they must go to a clinic to get screened for a UTI. This was something that we did not know, we thought CHPs were able to screen patients.
We drove back to World Hope to meet up with the Lehigh faculty, and take them to Binkolo to meet with sister Marietta. Sister Marietta had told us last week how eager she was to meet with Khanjan and the professors to discuss malnutrition and delivery equipment. After, we took them to Kambai to see the clinic because it sets the bar for clinics in Makeni. They were very impressed with the newly done construction and cleanliness of the facility.
On the way to Kambai, we stopped at some cool looking rocks! Pictured is professor Cheng and Naakesh.