The day began today with a visit to the clinic at the Ndvolu Medical Center. Hugo Tempelman showed us what a “normal” patient visit looks like. From registration to the respective examination.
Up to 200 patients come in every day. There are currently around 4000 patients undergoing permanent treatment.
In addition to this overall performance, it is also the details that impress me: the fact that all X-ray examinations, for example in the case of suspected tuberculosis, are carried out digitally so that they can be sent to a cooperating university in Holland if the diagnosis is uncertain.
We visited the new audiology department. This new department now ensures that every child is audiologically examined up to the 10th day after birth. This is particularly important for children of HIV-positive parents.
Afterwards, I visited Charlotte at home. We had a lunch date. She is 23 years old and very active in the NMC, for example in kickboxing, netball etc. She lives alone in her mother’s house, who died when Charlotte was 9 years old. I am deeply touched, even shocked, at how someone can deal with such an unfairly hard fate as she had to experience in such an upright, dignified, loving and courageous way.
She receives no state support, is often dependent on food packages from Ndlovu and says to me:
“Although I often wake up hungry, I try to give the others a smile because I want to be an example to the other children here that you can make something of your life even if you don’t have parents and are hungry.”
I have no words for this.
Again a lot of impressions.
Good night together.
Clemens
