SV10 -- LeAlem ER and Home Visits

Site Visit Day 10 (Wednesday) -- Big day today, from several perspectives. Walked five miles from hotel (Kazanches), up around Black Lion Hospital (picture 1) to Piazza, through Churchill Road shops, and back. Arrived at LeAlem about noon. While I was waiting outside Alemayehu's office, a 21 year-old beneficiary, Tewodros, was carried into the clinic by friends, screaming. He was lifted onto a gurney. Tewodros writhed and beat his stomach. Dr. Yilkal attended to the patient, auscultating, palpating abdomen, and providing chest x-ray. LeAlem laboratory provided white blood cell count and blood sugar tests. All were normal (and paid by EHN). Patient had taken meds without food, which may have caused abdominal pain leading to, diagnosed, severe anxiety episode. Dr. Yilkal put patient on placebo IV drip, which settled his condition. Tewodros slept (picture 2).

Met with church official who is a referral partner for EHN/LeAlem. Subsequently, traveled with Organization for Social Services for AIDS (OSSA) to mobile Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) center, a truck with three counseling rooms in first segment, and test lab in second segment (pictures 3-5). Test lab produces results in 30 minutes. OSSA VCTs operate all over Ethiopia, serving tens of thousands, an integral component of the country's HIV/AIDS strategy.











After VCT visit, proceeded to home visits of OSSA HIV/AIDS patients and affected children (pictures 6-10), Aduare neighborhood, Addis Ababa. Met two young HIV-postive twins, AIDS orphans (picture 6), their aunt and two cousins, all living in one-room, one-bed home. Visited several other homes in destitute slum, photographed swarming children, patients and impacted community. Black and white, at bottom, is end-stage patient.

We are so lucky.











Returned to LeAlem for report follow-up, discussion with colleagues (they met 'til 10 PM last night, working on report). Having lunch with OSSA director Friday (OSSA is a referral partner for EHN/LeAlem). Wrestled with logistical challenge of finding new hotel in town filled by African Union congress; ultimately successful, a $25/night guest house, but I think I'll have reduced Internet access. My Lonely Planet guidebook gives it a good mark.

Estimate that Thursday will be a long day, hotel move, patient case study work, and working late with partners to craft next report draft. Friday will be busy closing sprint, meetings (if possible) with US Embassy personnel and Addis hospital director, lunch with OSSA director, and dinner with referral partner.

LeAlem 2010 Picture Library
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