Prounounced akway begay, and meaning “There is hope” is how Sandy, Jamie and I left Worom Maternity Clinic on Tuesday night after two, long, busy days at the clinic. The second day initially brought more people who came with money providing hope that people will adjust and begin to understand that to receive medical treatment and drugs they have to pay money. We are also hopeful that if the clinic maintains their stock of medicine the number of patients frequenting the clinic will remain high. Although there were bright spots of hope, I was saw significantly more resistance to pay by the afternoon than I had seen during day 1, and I know this will continue to get worse before it gets better. Though the clinic workers received the brunt of the disgruntledness (spell check doesn’t recognize this but if isn’t a word, it should be!), one needn’t understand Hausa to know they were upset about having to pay to receive their drugs. Anger, frustration and desperation exceed language barriers.
Nevertheless, at the end of our time at the clinic, profits had been made, new drugs were being purchased with the newly-started revolving drug fund and some small money was able to be paid as salaries from the profits for the first time in months. Additional paying patients, stocked supply of drugs, renewed morale combined with an already established competent, caring and dedicated staff results in paid salaries and leads to successful clinic. Akwai bege!
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