Our 11 year old is sick again. He has already missed 2 days of school, and it is only the second month since classes started. This time, he started crying and clutching his ears at 9 pm on a Sunday night. Naturally, I was sure this was a delay tactic to avoid getting ready for bed, until I looked in his ears with the otoscope. A bulging ear drum full of pus and blood stared back, one side only slightly better than the other.
Our medicine cabinet here in Moshi is impressive. It was impressive in Durham, but it has reached new heights of prevention. And thanks to a yard sale, all of our items are organized into Tupperware boxes. Since we were to be one of only a handful of faculty doctors on the compound, and not knowing what is available in Tanzania, we came prepared. We have antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral medications, steroid creams, antifungal creams, antifungal tablets, tablets in german that were donated to our cabinet and that required a google search to identify.
However, we forgot ear drops. Luckily, there are many pharmacies in Moshi town, and I went to one of the biggest. They seemed to have all sorts of medications, prescription and non-prescription. However, the ear drops are a problem. I go through my list of choices: Auralgan- no. Cipro Otic- no. Cortisporin Otic- no. Let’s look at the generic names to see if anything sounds familiar. I mentally kick myself for not learning the Swahili term for “ear drops” or “antibiotic drops”. I have learned how to say “are you having contractions” “does your head hurt” and “is the baby moving”, which are only useful in a Labor Ward.
Finally, they emerge with a tiny little tube of some ear suspension medication I had never heard of, but it was sealed, and had a Pfizer label and tetracycline and steroid ingredients. I paid 11,500 shillings for those ear drops (about $10), and as I left the pharmacy, I did some mental math. It costs 15,000 shillings (about $13) to have a vaginal delivery at KCMC, and we are told that countless women could never afford to deliver there. I just spent almost that much to buy a 4 ml tube of symptom control for my son.
Barney update: Barney is still at the vet’s office. He is getting his final electrical stimulation, and he will return on Sunday. The vet says he is better- we’ll see what that means.
2 comments:
Salam Dr. Sumera! I can't believe it costs so much to take care of an ear infection, especially compared to a delivery! Keep up the amazing work you all are doing!
Hi! I was recently at KCMC and met you outside Dr Olola Oneko's office - I would love to get in touch with you both to discuss breast ultrasound teaching and care. I had an amazing experience there myself and see so much potential for the use of portable ultrasound in breast disease management. I was unable to get reliable contact information from you and Dr Oneko because of the Ramadan holiday - will you be so kind as to contact me and share my contact information with dr Oneko as well? I am trying to plan a return trip for the summer of 09 (June? July?) and have contacted the ACS and ASBS to see what instructional materials and support I can get... Dr Heather Richardson kippahrh@hotmail.com Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta GA
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