Clinic location inspection day

I am writing this entry on our way home from a day of scouting clinic locations.  Currently the rain is coming down so hard the highway is just like a river.  The windshield wipers cannot keep up and we cannot see further than the front bumper.  Perhaps we shouldn't be driving at 80 km/h down the dark flooded highway?   Anyhow... Back to our day.  

We didn't quite make our 9 am deadline with the vice minister, but fortunately Gerry our host is amigos with the Minister. And he ensured our delayed arrival would not be an issue.   

A major issue has been discovered in our meeting at the Health Ministers office.  One of the doctors has incomplete paperwork and if the paperwork is not corrected by tomorrow they will be sitting on the sidelines reducing the number of patients seen, potentially by hundreds.  Goal #1 tomorrow is to do whatever it takes to make the 6 hour return drive to get the correct papers to the powers that be.  

After the Health Ministers meeting we were able to return to the hotel for a leisurely 20 minute lunch break then back in the road again.   This time we made a 3 hour drive to the cities of Chinandega and El Viejo.  Our initial team on the ground were met by our security team, the Firefighters of Chinandega.   They picked us up in the Fire Truck and we rode on the roof and hung off the tailboard to the various possible clinic locations.   

After this tour of two cities the decision was made to have the clinic in 3 different locations.  

Day 1&2 will be in a rural hospital.  This is a beautiful facility built by European donors.  Unfortunately it is merely run as a clinic due to the hospital never being stocked with equipment.  

Day 3 will take place in a clinic auditorium behind a maternity hospital.  This is located on the highway in the city of El Veijo.  

Day 4&5 will happen in a red cross facility in the city of Chinandega.  We will take over the red cross station, and close the street in front to handle the anticipated crowds. 

So it is now 8:00pm and we are making the 3 hour trek back to our accommodation.  The clinic locations are set, the rain has stopped,  we have a carload of Nicaraguan cheezie snacks and the 80's power ballads are rockin the airwaves in our car.    Life could not get any better.  

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