6 July 2021

 

Today, I was given the keys to drive up the mountain to the Chiminisijuan clinic. I have not driven on Guatemalan mountain roads in over a year-and-a-half. And I haven’t driven on Guatemalan mountain roads in the rainy season in about 7 years. Thankfully, the truck did really well, and I must have chosen the correct ruts to drive through because we didn’t get stuck.

 

The Chiminisijuan clinic has not changed much except for a couple of key upgrades:

 

1. A solar power system was installed which primarily powers the ultrasound machine. There continues to be a lot of pregnant women who come and receive basic prenatal care in this clinic and the ultrasound is very useful. Before they used a very heavy and quite loud gasoline-powered generator.

 

2. The staff has gotten even more proficient and efficient. The staff registered the pregnant patients and Miriam, the midwife from Zimbabwe, did all of the ultrasound and prenatal care. Meanwhile, the nurses got the histories (almost all in the Quiché language), did exams, and got the treatments that they thought were necessary. Then they each ran their cases by me and we made a final treatment plan—which was usually the one they had already come up with. No paperwork for me. No counting pills or measuring out liquids. I could get used to this. And we were back for lunch so the driving time took almost as much time as the clinic time.