The morning of the fourth clinic started early; the faint calls of Happy Birthday from the bar next door still lingering on. A Caz speciality coffee (Thanks Billy’s!!) was necessary before the task of loading up our vans with medical supplies - luckily our brilliant van drivers are well versed in the luggage tetris that this requires.
Pulling up at the Kampong Thom First Baptist Church, I knew we were in for a treat; a beautiful community where people came to greet us as soon as the van door was opened, and all pitched in to help us carry supplies. We were set up in record time and ready to hit the ground running.
An efficient numbering system and microphone announcement meant we were able to work through the crowds. We estimate that we treated around three hundred people, with Caz managing a whopping ninety-five patients working as a single officer! Rachael and Heidi became Dr Pimple Popper with abscesses and boils to lance, being cruel to be kind, and making sure the children get lots of stickers and cuddles afterwards. One young girl, visibly self-conscious about a periorbital cellulitis with a drainable collection appeared at the table. She would not let the team see her face, attempting to cover it with her hand. Following the drainage, there was a marked improvement in this young girl’s demeanour smiling with the team and playing with the other children. Once again, giving us even more motivation for the work we are doing here. If left untreated these simple infections can spread throughout the body leaving young, vulnerable children at risk of becoming very unwell.
Another patient of note was a twenty-five-year-old man with cerebral palsy. His mother brought him to the clinic, unsure of why he acted the way he did, concerned that she had done something wrong during her pregnancy to make him this way. She had no idea about his condition and what it entails. With assistance from our wonderful interpreter (who is also a nurse) we were able to explain his condition and his behaviour, plus provide reassurance to this poor mother who for the last twenty-five years has carried this burden. Upon leaving the clinic, she was very thankful that we had taken the time to explain and hopefully left with some understanding of cerebral palsy.
Caz was also happy to see a previous patient who on the last trip came to the clinic shortly after her husband’s death and managed to make both Caz and Gabby cry. This trip, the lady looked healthy and well and remembered the team fondly.
The rest of the clinic flew by; a blur of babies, cheeky children, adults and elderly. Glasses all gone and pharmacy stores low it was time to pack up. A group photo ensures we won’t forget faces or the stories we heard; forever grateful that these beautiful people allowed us into their lives once again.
The night finished with a dip in the hotel pool where we bumped into some familiar faces; our previous interpreters, Khema and Sokeng, and their children. Dinner was a traditional Cambodian meal – a cheeseburger… a well-deserved treat!