Kyamagemule Medical Clinic

Dr. Detrich has come to Uganda once before to serve in medical missions. This year he brought a wonderful staff. The photo shows Dr. Dave, George (informal pastor to Kyamagemule), Henry (Mercy Uganda Director), Rebecca, Becky, Brandy, and Don. This doctor donated six 50-pound totes full of medicine and gear for use in these villages – a HUGE thank you to him!

Given that this was the second time on this particular trip, the clinic ran like clockwork. Once Henry got the process rolling, he assigned me the operational task of keeping them rolling. The task was perfect for my skill set and I think I did pretty well from a tactical standpoint. But the assertiveness needed for the role surfaced a feeling in me that I did not like. I loved my work in operations management and was pretty good at it but I don’t like what it does to me.

Look at this room full of people needing treatment. Have you ever had to choose which sick person would be treated and which would remain sick? One of my many roles during the clinic was to select those who would be seen by the doctor. Not being able to speak Luganda, identifying illnesses in order to prioritize patients meant that every person present had problems in their head and problems in their stomach.

While there are a number of very structured and organized ways to take patients, in this culture none of those very American methods work. As the end of the clinic time approached, the people began begging…should I say pleading with me to be the next in line. They crowded me, tugged at me, and cried before me. What a helpless and yucky feeling. Brandy reminded me that we helped about 225 people in the two days we were in Kyamagemule, far more than were turned away. She also reminded me that we cannot fix the world. Sigh.