"Asante"
Jambo from Arusha (actually waiting in Dar es Salaam airport
at the moment)! Today marks the beginning of my journey back home. The past two
months have so quickly passed, and this week has been one of good byes and
thank yous. I had the chance this week to do some home visits with the Hospice
team. Unlike American Hospice care, the hospice team at Selian visits homebound
patients regardless of their life expectancy. For example, most of the patients
that we saw have HIV infection as their primary debilitating illness, which, we
hope, will not be life limiting if they are able to receive their medicines and
routine HIV care regularly. The particular patients were selected because of
their poor overall condition and lack of family support and resources. It was a
wonderful chance to see a broader picture of the daily experience of these
patients, seeing their homes, families, and neighborhoods. In health care, we
like to think that the clinic appointments, hospital visits, and medicines
prescribed make a big difference in someone's overall health, but seeing the
patient's living conditions and imagining their daily life, I can see how far
downstream we are from the roots of their problems.
The last word in this series is actually one I have
mentioned before, but it is so nice I'll use it twice. "Asante," as I
have mentioned, means thank you. I have so much to be thankful for at the end
of this two month experience. It has been a great joy to work alongside the
Tanzanian medical staff at Selian, to experience their hardships, the
challenges to caring for patients in this environment, and the camaraderie of
sharing our knowledge, experiences, and goals. To let me follow along on their
hospital and clinic rounds, my Tanzanian colleagues gave up their time and departed
from their routine. But on top of that, I feel more than just a collegiality
was fostered, that it was a lasting friendship. For that, I am thankful. Asante
does not seem to explain this gratitude deep enough, but it is the best that I
had to offer in return. Asante has been offered so many times during my stay
here, both from me and to me. It is often for ordinary services, such as at a
store or restaurant. It has been offered from our patients, often the most
fervent "asante" coming from the patient and family for whom we have
no good option to left. However, when I consider how much I have received
during my time here, I wish I had more than just one word. I wish I had the
power to help my friends accomplish their goals. I wish I could take the stories
that I have seen and strike the problems at their roots. I wish we could all
have equal opportunity to quality health care and the basic needs that would
sustain that health. But for now, I offer thank you, and resolve myself to not
forget what I have seen and the people I have shared life with here in
Tanzania.
