Up again bright and early, the team prepared supplies for our first clinic. With bags and boxes packed and ready and everyone dressed and fed, we headed downstairs with our provisions and piled into the tuk tuks that were waiting for us outside. Our merry convoy zipped through the streets with typical Cambodian efficiency towards our destination in the slums of Phnom Penh. The seasoned veterans in the team who had been many times before noted how nice it was that there was actually a sealed road this time and the noticeable lack of mud was greatly appreciated. Eventually stopping at the church in the slum of Steng Menchay we were greeted by a small crowd who had been eagerly awaiting our arrival. Like a well-greased goat the team slid into action and before long our first clinic, complete with pharmacy and rambutan dispensary, was well under way.
Then, almost as quickly as it had begun, the clinic
was over and we were packing up before sitting down enjoy a quick and tasty,
though questionably safe lunch. It wasn’t before long before we were heading to
our next clinic at Sokriths Church, this time split between Sokriths pastor’s van
and a tuk tuk.
The drive involved a drive through
the countryside down stretch of dirt road, pocked and puddled to the point it
resembled a gritty brown Swiss cheese. Needless to say it was an arduous task
for even the van to traverse, let alone the tuk tuk that creaked and groaned as
it bucked like a rabid Brahmin in the potholes. Yet traverse it we did and
finally we pulled into the serene courtyard for our second clinic. The overall
atmosphere seemed more relaxed and the setting more tranquil as we were
situated in the undercover area surrounded by garden compared to the sticky
sweatbox of the slums. Once again our expert team attended to the waiting crowd
supplying their knowledge, medication and helping hands. With the assistance of
the translators we did our best to address the needs of the many and varied
people who came to seek our help.
Before we knew it however we were wrapping up again and tucking into fruit platters kindly supplied by the grateful community. Our supplies loaded back into our trusty vehicles we headed back home, our first day of clinics successfully behind us with many more yet to come.
Before we knew it however we were wrapping up again and tucking into fruit platters kindly supplied by the grateful community. Our supplies loaded back into our trusty vehicles we headed back home, our first day of clinics successfully behind us with many more yet to come.