On Mondays I see patients at a church called Igreja Metodista Mutirao. Earlier this week was the first day, and it ended at noon because Brazil had a World Cup game against Cameroon that afternoon. I saw 17 people. Next Monday is likely to be much, much busier.
The entire city shuts down for these games. People leave work several hours before it starts. All the buses stop, the stores in the shopping malls close for three hours.
On Tuesday I see patients in a Methodist church in the suburb called Alfredo Nascimento. It was busier. I saw 79 people between 8 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. They had all kinds of problems: allergies, acid reflux, snakebite (his leg had already been amputated), bronchitis, osteoarthritis, UTIs, etc. Everybody has intestinal worms. Unfortunately we only have medicine to treat adults because the factory that makes albendazole is on strike. Two young women helped me. One is in college studying psychology and the other has a year of nursing school but had to quit and work for awhile so she can continue to pay the $300 per month cost of schooling. She is currently still looking for a job.
On Tuesday nights I teach an English class from 7:30 - 8:30. That has been fun.
On Wednesday I get up at 4:30 to catch a ride to the port for the 2-hour Express boat ride to Manaquiri. I can see a few patients there before noon, and then work all afternoon. I work there on Thursday morning, too. I have to leave clinic at 11 to get on my return boat at noon. This week was my first time, and the community didn't know I was coming. So I only saw 37 people. It is sure to be much busier next week.
There's a small hospital in Manaquiri. Four Cuban docs work there and one Peruvian. They are paid about US$5,000 per month. That's wonderful pay for the Cubans, as they are accustomed to an extremely low wage in Cuba. The Cuban docs that I've met in the past have been well trained, attentive to the patients, and hard workers.
On Friday I have a day of rest (so far). There's talk of me seeing patients in a Methodist church in the suburb of Santa Etelvina on Fridays. (You can find all these places on Google Earth). Back in 2009 I helped build the church there. It's a good feeling to see it functioning as a robust community resource now. Each afternoon on school days they have a program called "Shade and Fresh Water" there. The school kids have a safe place to go after school to play, do homework, and wait for their parents to get home from work. The phrase Shade and Fresh Water comes from Brazilian story that this is all one really needs in order to have a good day.
Saturday is open for a variety of activities. It's a long trip out to our medical boat, but I need to go there to refresh my box of medicines for the neighborhood clinics.
Sunday is busy at church. From 9-12 there's adult Bible school, then evening services from 7-10.
That's my schedule.
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