The
Doctor will see you NOW in Rapa Nui
His
chiseled face was unmistakable; he could be a Maori or a Tuvaluan. He was
eating an ice cream, for which he apologized later, you will see why.
I
moved closer to him, where the unsmiling shopkeepers from the Chilean continent
reap profits on the back of the indigenous people.
Tu
me conoces?
Do
you know me, I asked him? I had arrived in the island precisely two hours
earlier, but this was not my first visit.
He
looks carefully at my face.
It
has been a long time, he says.
I
am the doctor from Cuba, and your daughter studied Medicine in Cuba.
He
nodded with a smile.
I
let him walk the path back to 2003, 15 years ago, on my first visit to the
island. At that time, the main street had scarcely the accouterments of tourist
trade, Tia Betty’s Empanadas, few hostels and hardly any cars.
Anahi
a little girl of 12 came up to me at the Internet café that is no more and
asked me,
Where
are you from?
I
am from Cuba, I answered. Do you know where it is?
Yes
the little girl answered, I know a lot about it.
Surprised,
even more so, when she said,
My
cousin studies Medicine in Cuba, and if you want I can take you to her parents
home, a short walk from here, dragging me along.
That
is where I met Juan Manutomatoma, the man standing in front of me.
Why
don’t you stay with me, he begged
I
am entering the hospital today so you can enjoy the house. That opened up
another conversation. He has diabetes and it is out of control. His daughter
after her graduation from Havana went to Santiago where she practices as a
Surgeon.
My
blood sugar is very high. (Thus the apology for the ice cream, once a month
doctor, he reasoned)
Very
quick questioning made me realize that his diabetes care like most of the
people in the island is poor and that he may have already the complications of
the disease. His left hip is giving in and the orthopedic surgeons in Santiago
de Chile told him that they won't operate on him until he brings down the blood
sugar, thus the admission to the hospital to bring down the blood sugar.
This
island, which was colonized by Chile in the late 18th century, had
seen dramatic changes in the history and lifestyle of the native population
(very similar to many indigenous people, whose fragile cultures is destroyed by
the invaders along with their bodies).
The
doctors here from Chile are not very good, he continued; in fact they send students rather
than doctors (he must mean Interns and residents rather than specialists).
Please
take care of me and I would wait for you at the hospital and you can talk to
the doctors and tell them what to do for me.
This
once again is the outreach mentality of Cuban International Medicine. Not only
does Cuba educate poor students from many countries in the world, but also
sends doctors to help with Health care in parts of the world where there are no
doctors.
This
has happened to me in many places, within hours of arriving at a place, I am
doing some humanitarian medical care. One has to be careful not to involve
where you are not wanted, watch for the sensibilities of the local providers
and the cost of the medications. I think the native people do-good free medical
attention but remember this sliver of a samosa shaped island is nearly 4000 km
away from the continent of South America and everything has to arrive by the
daily flight or an occasional freighter.
The
sleepy little town now bustles with tourists, usually older Europeans and young
Chilean families. One observation does not fail to impress you. Chileans and
the islanders and the non-native who live here, all are on the chubby side.
People,
who are part of fragile cultures and innocent of monetary transactions, fail
when they enter the capitalist system. They learn the shortcuts, give up their
millennial healthy habits, and dive into the potato chips, coca cola and beer
culture. To pay for that, they may lease their culture or use their culture as
a short cut to get money. The best of capitalism is forgotten and the best of
their millennia old lifestyle is also laid by the wayside.
Just
one week ago, my illustrious colleague, Ashleen wrote to me and said: Doctor
what about Easter Island
You
may have guessed that is where I am today, having flown from Brussels to Madrid
to Santiago de Chile and Hanga Roa in Easter Island.
Yes
there is a need for the
BLACKBIRD
DIABETES EDUCATION AND WOUND CARE CENTRE here
Under
the auspices of the NGO, Dr. MW is helping me to form.
If
I had help, I would stay here for a week at a time and get to see every one in
the island who is Rapa Nui who has been afflicted by these diseases of
Civilization.
