HIV/AIDS Clinic

Yesterday, we started our HIV/AIDS training.  There are still a lot of stuff I need to learn so I can start using the right vocabulary or be able to explain better, but I wanted to post these pictures that I took while we visited an HIV/AIDS Clinic in a hospital across the street from our training center at the Tea Tot Hotel.

A lot of hospital care in Kenya is free or cost little.  However, there is always this problem where people live far, not afford to travel to a hospital, or have to work on whatever they do to feed their families that many either come initially then stopped coming or not come at all.

The hospital from outside seemed like a modern facility with several stories tall and several buildings, but when we came in, they all still look "Kenyan style" with dirt roads, concrete floors, and old falling apart stuff.

Waiting Room (outside with roof)

KSL Terp Monica explaining stuff in their records room -- lot of manual work with no computers.  Files of those that are deceased or defaulted (stopped coming in for treatment) are moved to the other room behind the windowed wall.

Seems that they focus on checking for and treating those HIV/AIDS that may or already got TB.  It seems that because the HIV/AIDS have much lower immunity, so they get TB easily and often. The Chest Clinic focuses on TB with exams and xrays.

Click on picture to enlarge to see better.  See that all counseling and services are free.

HIV/AIDS Pharmacy.  They screen patients to determine if they are reliable with their visits and medication, they would supply medication for 30 or 60 days between refills.  If they find some patients not reliable, they require them to  refill every 2 weeks. They cannot afford seeing scarce medication go to waste.

Patient Counseling and Examination room.  The bed behind Monica is a Gyn bed with leg stirrups.  I am not used to seeing such private space be so public -- windows are open and people can look in from outside.

Nutritionist.

Doctor Office in a tent outside.

Click on picture to enlarge.  You can see a "menu" of services with their prices.  Also see the "wait times".  I was told this is full of crock.  Oh well.