In the morning we went to meet
The chief of Nyalenda, the elders
They sat in plastic chairs in the shade
Their suggestion box was a beehive
First, Bea spoke
About home based care, about sickness, about community
Next, Francis – a health worker – answered questions
The elders listened.
I think we have their blessings
It was my last time in the “field”
That night I sat on the kitchen floor
To share a bar of chocolate with my new roommate, who goes
to the district hospital during the day. This week is surgery.
There were two patients:
1) A bloody cancerous tumor was removed from a man’s leg
2) A guy with HIV, and tons of infections, was too week for anesthesia. So the operation was cancelled
What chiefs did my roommate work with?
Hospital elders to settle disputes in the wards.
