The NHTH team started "Camp Day" with a three-hour drive north toward Iraq's borders with Syria and Turkey; just south of those borders are the Bajed Kandala I and Bajed Kandala II Internally Displaced Persons camps.
When we arrived, our very first stop was the small medical clinic—we were greeted by the Director of the Medical Center and the pharmacist for the camp. We rolled our three suitcases directly to the small room that serves as their pharmacy.
It took us a while to unpack and get all of the medications where they belong on the shelves. It was a relief to all of us to see those shelves filled again!
When we were done organizing the pharmacy, our friends at the camp served us a beautiful meal and then we took a tour of the clinic. Anita was able to sit with the camp nurse at her desk at the nurses' station where she does the initial assessments of patients as they come in for the clinic.
Anita had a lovely realization. She said, "This nurse does not speak any English, and I only know how to say a few words in Kurdish—mostly 'how are you' and 'thank you'—but it felt like we spoke the same language as nurses. And that we understand each other as nurses."
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were also able to provide fuel for the camp to have through the winter and to cover some of their other urgent expenses. We were able to discuss their continued needs and will work toward meeting those needs as we can on our next trip.
After we said goodbye at Bajed Kandala, we drove about an hour away to meet with the American midwife who serves the women of another camp. She invited us to her home very close to the camp where she lives with her family. It was wonderful to spend time with her and get to learn more about her work.
As we were planning this trip, we had asked her if there was anything she would like us to bring. She requested a new doppler to replace the one she had, which no longer works. Thanks again to NHTH donors, we were able to bring a high-quality fetal Doppler to use in the care of her patients. We were also able to give her enough prenatal vitamins for about 40 women to take throughout their pregnancies. We will work toward bringing more next time so that every pregnant woman in the camp will have prenatal vitamins, something we take for granted.
Anita says, "I’m not really sure how to say this, but it is an incredible honor and a very humbling experience and a great joy to be with the kind and wonderful healthcare professionals—a nurse, a midwife, a doctor, and a pharmacist—and all the other people who care so tenderly for their patients day after day with so few resources. We can’t wait to go back."
