My new work place...

Hey Guys!

As promised...here is a peak at the Oak Fountain Hospital, my new work place for the next few months...

This sign greets you at every entrance into the hospital on Deck 3 from the top decks.

What one of the wards looks like here at the hospital. They are all on the port side of the ship. There are 5 beds on each side of the room.

This is our ICU section for the outreach. We just have 3 beds set up, rather than an entire ward. We aren't running the ICU ward or Ward C (there are 4 wards: A, B, C, and D) because of the noise that the generators create...hence the trip to South Africa in August to get them replaced.

In this photo (of D ward), you can see that there are mattresses under the beds. These are for the patient's caretakers, usually a parent, so that they can stay with their child while recovering from surgery here on the Africa Mercy.

This is the sign that you see on our door. Welcome to the pharmacy. Please note that crew clinic hours are from 13:00 - 14:30. :-) We are located on the starboard side, towards the aft of the ship.

A peak into my work space. The pharmacy has two rooms: a front room where I've been spending most of my time, and a back room where there is another work space and our medications.

A peak into the back room of the pharmacy. This is usually where one can find Miriam.

Opposite of the work space in the back room is our rolling racks!

Here is the end of our hall (which is opposite to the wards). Past this door, you can find the 6 operating rooms here in the Oak Foundation Hospital.

I hope that you guys have enjoyed seeing just a bit of what I see everyday here. I really wish you were here so that I could give you a personal tour myself. There is so much more to it than what these few pictures dictate.

Now, I'll leave you with a quote Dr. Parker used in a few of his lectures:

"At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.’

Hungry not only for bread-but hungry for love.

Naked not only for clothing-but naked of human dignity and respect.

Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks-but homeless because of rejection.

This is Christ in distressing disguise."

- Mother Teresa