Health Care, Tanzania Style

Today we visited Wayda Dispensary and FAME hospital to learn about some different health care options and challenges. The dispensary acts as the front line of Tanzania health care. The doctor sees everything and tries to handle every kind of medical situation, including emergencies. The doctor is pretty much on his own, and does not have the luxury of referring patients to specialists. There are no ambulances, and very few cars in rural areas.  The dispensary was well organized, but very poorly stocked. The place felt like something that might have existed in North America about 70 years ago. The microscope in the lab could have been in any junior high science classroom and was set up in front of a window with broken glass in one pane.
The FAME hospital is an American run hospital that is very new. Parts of it are still being built. Here the microscope looked state of the art and was connected to a computer in a fresh new lab. This hospital operates on a tiered payment system- lowest prices are for Tanzanians, mid-range prices for ex-pats and long term volunteers, and highest prices are for tourists. Tanzania has one doctor for every 30,000 people.

Later in the day we ventured into town for our first shopping experience. Separating into groups seemed to make more sense than trying to keep a large crowd of 25 people together, and we were also attracting a lot of attention. With one of the CPAR Tanzanians in each group, we set off to learn how to bargain and find our way through the market. Delphina, Mona, and Schola proved to be a valuable resource as they guided us around and help negotiate prices.

Back at the hostel, Ms. Salamon managed to convince a few people they should join her in a cross-fit workout on the lawn, while the rest of us sat and cheered them on from our deck chairs. After dinner at Happy Days, a nearby restaurant, the teachers headed to the CPAR office to try and Skype in for a staff meeting (it was 11:00pm Tanzania time, which shows how dedicated we were), while Delphina stayed to teach the students some Tanzanian dance moves. Pretty sure the students got the better bargain that night.

Written by - K. Athayde