March 20, 2010

• Poorest (PLINSB, part III)

  It was getting late.  And when you're in the countryside, where there is no electricity, no paved roads, AND there are landmines, it's not exactly a good idea to be driving around unfamiliar territory.

  "Please, you must come see this patient," one of the village health leaders begged us.  "He is really sick.  I know it's late, but if you come see him, it will encourage him.  He will feel like somebody actually wants him to get better." 

  So he led us to our last home visit.  We followed behind, driving down dusty roads between uninhabited fields.  It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.  *blink blink* Was there civilization out here?

  Then, we approached a tiny village.  Towards our left, a cluster of palm roofed homes huddled together.  I assumed our patient lived there, but as we began walking, the group veered us towards the right.  A palm roofed hut sat on the right, isolated by itself.  The hut had only 3 walls, haphazardly covered with palm tree leaves and old fabric.  (It later occurred to me that this type of shelter is often used to raise pigs or chickens.) 

  Inside that isolated hut was our patient. 

  Sadness swept over me so quickly, I don't even remember which surprised me more- his poor appearance, or his poor living conditions.

  He was in his 30's, but his illness had aged him and he looked like he was 50.  His thin face and body reflected malnourishment and poor health.  His eyes appeared sunken, and his fingers were contracted.  He was laying on the bamboo slats of the hut, and he slowly sat up as he saw us. 

  "Your TB is still infectious, wear a mask," the local doctor instructed him.  "Do you have one?"

  He didn't.  I handed him one.  His fingers fumbled as he struggled to put the mask on.  He was not feeling well.  He became short of breath after a few questions, and easily fatigued after we asked him to take a few steps.  He limped while using a cane.  His overall weakness suggested he had a vitamin deficiency.

  "Do you eat meat? Fish?" we asked.

  He shook his head.  "What meat? What fish?  I don't have any."

  I looked around.  It was a dry place- the river was at least 20 miles away... where would he get fish? where would he get meat?  Not that he could get it, even if he could afford it. And he couldn't afford it, of course.

  "Do you have a family?" I asked.

  "My wife took our baby and she left me a month ago," he replied.

  My heart sank.  This was so wrong.  Left behind, alone, sick, and poor.  Fortunately his brother lived in the nearby village to give him his meds, but besides him, he had nobody else.   

  We gave him some money and some soap we purchased on the way there.  We promised him some vitamins in the nearby future.  (We didn't' know how we'd do it, but we promised anyway.)

  That night, I could not get his face out of my head.  Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his skinny face and the hopelessness in his eyes.  I heard the hunger in his voice. 

  I could not swallow all the things I had seen and felt in Svay Rieng.  It was overwhelming.  It buried me.  Poverty was a problem so much larger than I had ever imagined. 

  ~ ~ ~

  Update: Before we left Cambodia, I learned that one of my friends was going to Cambodia right after my visit ended.  So I asked her to get some vitamins for the patient (because they were so expensive in Cambodia).  It goes a lil something like this:

  How to give medicine and vitamins to the poor in the middle of nowhere:

  1) contact friend in U.S.; contact NGO rep in cambodia ;
  2) friend drives to drug store (in US) to buy vitamins
  3) friend takes vitamins home and packs in her suitcase
  4) friend rides airplane and takes several connecting flights before arriving in cambodia
  5) friends arrives in cambodia ; contact NGO rep to arrange for pickup
  6) NGO rep drives to pickup vitamins from friend
  7) NGO rep sends vitamins on a taxi to svay rieng
  8) Taxi drives 2 hrs on busy roads
  9) Taxi rides ferry across Mekong to Svay Rieng
  9) Vitamins arrive at NGO office in SR
  10) Local doctor at NGO office drives to health clinic and hands vitamins over to a community health leader
  11) Local health community leader rides motorbike to farthest part of SR
  12) Patient receives vitamins
  
  *phew!

  It's crazy to think about all the time, carbon energy, and investment we poured out, just to get this guy some basic B vitamins. 

  But I guess sometimes ordinary things require extraordinary measures.

  • 4:54 pm
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