Chipata Adventist Clinic

Another exhausting day! But finally the Sabbath is here. This morning was Day #4 to endure a cold shower. It is actually not too bad. Although it is currently the “Rainy Season” the weather is always between 60 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A cold shower anywhere else in the world would be absolute torture, but here in Zambia it is quite refreshing. Every Friday and Monday mornings, the entire staff at Mwami Adventist Hospital meets together for morning worship. After some beautiful a capella singing (Africans can really sing with soul), a short message was given by the hospital chaplain.

At about 8:30 am, Mr. Limwanya and a van full of people headed off to the Adventist Clinic in Chipata, about 30 kilometres away from Mwami. A heavy rain had fallen last night so the roads were in incredibly horrible condition. As I rocked back and forth in my seat up front on the left (Zambia was colonized by the British until October 24, 1964, so according to the British way Zambians also drive on the left side of the road and have their drivers’ seat on the right), I was reminded of the rocky ride called Indiana Jones at Disneyland.

When we arrived at the clinic, we proceeded to say patients. There was no slit lamp available, so diagnoses were arrived at by using a flashlight and direct ophthalmoscopy. Mr. Limwanya said he had no access to an indirect ophthalmoscope, but the budget allowed recent approval for one to be purchased next year. Refractions were all performed using a case of trial spectacles and lenses. Intraocular pressures were obtained using a Schioetz tonometer.

I also spent some time with Ruben, the optician, who actually made the glasses while patients waited. Using a large standard lens, Ruben took pre-made frames chosen by the patient and traced the shape of the frame onto the standard lens. He then chipped away portions of the lens with a crude metal mini wrench-like apparatus. Then, using a spinning wheel, he proceeded to grin the perimeter of the lens until it was smooth. Finally, comparing the lens to the shape of the selected frames, he proceeded to match the two perfectly. I was perfectly amazed at his skill and at the relative simplicity of making spectacles in less than one hour.

After clinic – which was only a half-day clinic due to the upcoming Sabbath – we ran errands (went grocery shopping, checked email, etc.). When I got back to Mwami, it was already time for vespers. After vespers, I ate dinner and I’m now finally winding down. What a day!