Dominican Republic v.2.0 - Monday

Dominican pharmacy phrase of the day:

Now do me the long way.

Each day in the bateyes, there was one statement made that resulted in a healthy guffaw if not an outright burst of laughter. Today's concerned, um, photographing each other.

Our team of 32 splits into two once again: hospital and batey. My batey group throws our gear in the back of The Big Red Truck and the hospital groups takes a van. A van that won't crank. Nothing like watching surgeons and anesthetists push a Dominican van in reverse, then get behind it to push it and pop the clutch before it ends up in the Caribbean Sea. Entertaining to say the least.



We hop into The Big Red Truck and make our way through Barahona to Batey #7. The ride was awesome! Open air, minimal cushion from any shocks or suspension, and the Dominican atmosphere enveloping us. Enjoy. First it was the road from Playazul to Barahona proper:


Then, it was through town itself:


Then once we get through town, it's sugar cane fields as far as the eye can see, and the bumpy dirt/rocky roads that take us to the batey:


A fun ride.

We arrive at the clinic there. Barbed wire fencing surrounds it. A poor village with trash, feces, and just relative filth all around. And yet, in the open area directly outside the clinic, a pickup game of beisbol forms. Having nothing, little future, a simple game brings joy to the locals. Heart-warming.
We set up in the pharmacy room of the clinic. Registration occurs at the front door, then it's on to triage where vitals are taken, then the docs check them out, then the prescriptions are filled by our crew, then they're out the door. 120+ patients, 350+ prescriptions filled between about 10:00am and 4:00pm or so. A busy day. But one that was fulfilling and enjoying. The kinks always work themselves out the first day. Our plan for workflow and ideas on what exactly we'll be doing evolve, change, or frankly just get thrown out the door. MacGyver Pharmacy at its best. Wild West pharmacy.


After our work day, it was a walking tour of the batey and visit with the kids. Whenever they get the opportunity, a child will run up to an americano and grab your hand to walk with you. It tugs at you.

Then, another bumpy Big Red Truck ride back to Playazul. A shower, dinner, then general mayhem and decompression and jokes and conversation and bonding. All over the beverage of choice: Dominican lager Presidente...