Random Clinic and Pisco Sours

---

Tuesday 21st June

Today I went to a rural medical outpost with the clinic. We drive for at least an hour and the longer the drove, the more crap the roads got! There was lots of animals being herded along the roads, proper Irish traffic Jam!

We were based in a school, the children were lovely and so excited to see us. I worked with the Italian Gynaecologists for the morning.

One of our patients brought a lamb with her into the room which the proceeded to shit all over the floor! It was quite funny. I think the Italian Doctors found it quite funny but also difficult to work in such difficult circumstances. In general, hygiene standards are poorer here than in UK but that was to be expected.The Italian doctors said that the place wasn’t very clean but I was afraid to offend! We mostly screened for infections for the ladies with gynae symptoms as there is a lab in the policlinico.
Apparently the ladies were really grateful to get checked over by the doctors but it is difficult to get that as they all speak Quechua, a language spoken around the rural Andes. I tried to learn a few words of Quechua but it is really difficult.
I had the opportunity to do a lot of examinations so it was really useful but its such a intimate exam I wished I could have spoke more Quechua to the ladies!
The doctors and nuns were taking photos during the history and examinations as well! I thought this would never happen in the UK or Italy for that matter, so I think I have a photo of me doing a vaginal exam!
There are also some differences with the way the doctors prescribe here, very easy to get antibiotics and things like that. I thought it was different and talking to the Italian doctors they seem to agree.

After we had finished the clinic we went into the classroom to see the children and they all came rushing over when I showed them the photos. I was pure mobbed by them. They were so cute! I didn’t really want to leave. I think that has been my favourite bit so far

In the evening there was a big parade with hundreds of local people taking part. I went to watch it on my own as the girls from Newcastle were in a rural clinic most of this week. When I was there a bumped into the German Guy, Miguel, that is staying at the clinic too. We watched the parade for a while with a few beers and then went to the irish bar, standard. Miguel speaks spanish fluently pretty much as he has been volunteering in Peru for about 10 months. He said he doesnt really speak English so I had to speak spanish all night to him. I found out later that he does actually speak english quite well but it was good to get the practice in. It was good to have someone else to get a taxi back with too. It felt much safer.

Wednesday
I worked in the clinic this morning with the general doctor and seen a few patients. It can be very busy in the morning clinic.
Miguel and me went out to meet the girls from Newcastle as it was fionas birthday. I met up with Claire and Alistair, another 2 students from Newcastle too. The bar was really good, 2 for 1 on cocktails. And the seats were swings, bit dangerous after a few moijitos! The local cocktail, Pisco Sour is very strong, quite nice though, or maybe everything is nice after a few moijitos! We ended up having a really good night anyway, me and Heather, one of the girls from Newcastle has a boyfriend too so it was easy for us to pair up and avoid attention. I feel bad for her when Eoghan comes though!
and I'm off for the festival tomorrow and Friday so its been a great week pretty much!

---

Photos

Doctor Lamb
minutes before it shit everywhere