In Deed and Truth (IDAT) Ministries don’t simply wait for the patients to come to them but drive out for weekly mobile clinics to help patents in hard to reach areas like Machar Manyiel particularly in the wet season when Malaria is at its peak. The medicine flown by MAF is helping people deep inside the bush.
Maker’s wide smile shows how much he enjoys outreaches. He loves helping patients in Villages like Machar Manyiel who would otherwise struggle to access medical care at all.
‘One of the interventions we have made is to bring medical outreach to people who are in very far areas. We go around all the villages here in Tonj. We bring the malaria testing kits in order to recognize malaria early. We also treat those we find who are positive for malaria. Early treatment reduces the chances of complications happening,’ Dr Maker explains.
‘Today, we have come to an area called Machar Manyiel for a medical outreach. We are basically carrying anti-malaria medicines and malaria testing kits. Because of help from MAF’s supporters today, I'm expecting to see about 150 patients. They are waiting for us in the line.
The team set up five different stations: triage, blood tests, consultation, pharmacy and prayer.
At the front of the triage line two clinical assistants screen a crowd of patients seated theatre style on rows of logs. A cross carved into the bark of the tall tree providing shelter patients indicates that the place is a church. Weight, temperature and a basic patient history are recorded. As soon as this is finished, the patient is directed where to go.
Clinical Assistant Viola tests every patient who presents with a fever for Malaria. She is so skilled at the simple finger prick test that many of the babies don’t even realise. In a few short minutes they have their diagnosis.
‘I'm doing Malaria tests with the kids and pregnant mothers. In total I’ve done around 200 on this outreach. We got some many people having malaria here because it is a long distance from the village to the hospital. They don't reach there to the town and don't have any place to get medication. We came here to help them. We are happy to help them!’
Thank you to the people that helped us with medicines. It's something good that you're really doing. Everything that you are giving is going to the right people at the right time - helping people in villages like Machar Manyiel. Your help is making an impact and a great difference
Dr Maker and trainee doctor Makoc consult with every patient – paying careful attention as they describe their symptom before listening to their hearts and lungs. By the end of the day, they’ve examined 180 patients with conditions ranging from conjunctivitis to cataracts, HIV to hepatitis, malaria to mumps.
Ten-year-old Machut Nial Dut presents with a rat bite on his finger. He woke in the morning to find the dead rat still attached to his finger causing his arm has swelled like a balloon. Adding to the discomfort, he is also suffering with malaria which is causing his head to ache.
Dr Maker sees Nine-year-old Chirillo Chol Bol has bacterial conjunctivitis that is so severe he can barely open his eyes. During another consultation, he sees a family where each of the six children are sick with malaria. He is concerned - but not surprised.
The pharmacy table is stocked with medicines for the conditions they see most often. Anti- malarial treatment the most frequently prescribed treatments, together with anti-biotics and liquid paracetamol.
Patients of all ages come with their carers. They listen carefully as the dosage is explained. Majak Chuol has come for medicine Tuberculosis, his agemate Chirillo Chol Bol is given eye ointment and anti-biotics for his conjunctivitis. Six-year-old Bol Dut Akot will be made more comfortable with paracetamol but there is no treatment for his mumps – a virus that will have to work its way through his system.
The final stop is pastoral care. Pastor Barnabus Paul gathers the patients in groups to share the gospel and pray for the patients’ fevers and throbbing heads. The team want their patients to encounter ‘the Healer’ – Jesus. Traditional beliefs are deep routed in areas like Machar Manyiel and the church is very new.
Patients like Deborah Aru are thankful for the outreach. Deborah shares how she walked an hour from her village Warayat to the clinic outreach. Machar Manyiel is much closer than travelling to Tonj. It takes an hour and twenty-minutes’ bumping along on a motorbike to reach the hospital.
‘I am happy to receive help from the IDAT doctors today. I am happy that they have come are here and are standing with us when we are in need of help. The people helping our children are like a saviour to us. I hope God will bless them so we can continue to receive help,’ she says.
As the afternoon wears on the patients become fewer until the last one leaves.
Maker is happy with all they have achieved today. He is thankful to have the resources to treat his patients. ‘Thank you to the people that helped us with medicines. It's something good that you're really doing. Everything that you are giving is going to the right people at the right time - helping people in villages like Machar Manyiel. Your help is making an impact and a great difference,’ he says.
