A day in the Life: Doing house calls with Shandia Clinic doctors
By: Mo Zhou, Summer ‘24 Intern
We are delighted to share a bit of the summer intern experience with our first year of onsite internships in our new site in the Amazon Rainforest. Keep reading to learn more about a typical day in the life of an intern who specialized in health programs in Shandia.
With an interest in investigating how to connect people with accessible healthcare and resources in underserved communities and enhance the effectiveness of such endeavors, and with previous experience in public health research in Latin America, I joined the Health Center (Centro Salud) of Shandia aiming for more insights into how public health resources such as doctors, medical supplies, and administration are actually carried out in a remote village. After a few days, I was fascinated by the effectiveness and professionalism of all the workers while working in and out of the clinic, and I learned a great deal from them.
My first trip with the doctors was to a community called Limonchicta on the other side of the river, which is about 20 minutes away by car. Our main goal was to check in with some newborn babies and pregnant women. It was raining heavily, so we had to walk over muddy puddles with heavy equipment such as scales and medicine boxes, and we were soaked when we arrived at the patient’s house. However, the harsh conditions did not stop us from working effectively. We quickly measured the 4-month-old baby’s basic physical data, and I noted them down in the data handbook specially prepared for each of the newborns. The other two doctors sat down and talked with the mother about precautions and explained how to use the medicine. We were rewarded with Chicha, a common drink in the area, as a symbol of hospitality.
After a few other houses with similar tasks, we finally walked into the final house, and it turned out to be a pregnant woman only 17 years old who was due to give birth in two weeks. This was the first time I had seen a pregnant woman younger than me. She was lying on a bench and seemed to be in a lot of pain. This time, I became an observer. I watched the doctors use a stethoscope to listen to the fetus's heartbeat and provide her with medicines and vitamins to keep her healthy. After we ensured everything was going fine, we set our way back in the rain.
This was the first time I was on a trip to see patients with professional doctors. Besides completing my part as the data recorder, I learned so many things about the doctors. I felt honored to build trust with the patients at a deep level because the doctors give them hope and confidence to live, even in such a remote place. I also had a direct experience of the hardships of the profession, as they must be outside regardless of the harsh environment and transportation conditions, and they must remain emotionally calm while meeting with each patient. This experience will inspire my future career as a healthcare worker. Although I won’t be working on the frontline, I will provide data and methodology support for those great doctors as best as I can.
If you’re interested in learning more about volunteering with Manna, please explore our Program Coordinator role with monthly start dates.
If you’d like to support health programming in the Amazon Rainforest Communities, please consider making a donation to Manna Project International’s public health programs.
Mo Zhou is a recent graduate from Emory University where he studied Quantitative Science and Spanish. He was part of the first cohort of interns in Shandia as a Public Health Intern in the summer of 2024. He is looking forward to working in the healthcare field to improve research and methodology.