Screening Day, Conakry 2012

A Day not to forget for many. Thousands of people are waiting in line for to be seen by doctors and nurses. Huge preparations where made to make this Day to a great success.

The Day before screening day I was involved in security. With a group of 15 people we went late in the evening to the screening side, (Palace of the people). When we arrived with our team at 22:00, already 30 people were waiting in a line. Some of them came from other countries, Sierra Leone, Ghana, ect. Days or weeks of traveling because of their illness. West Africa is now in raining season but this time in the beginning of the night it was dry. Thanks to God. Some people started to get tired and went to the ground to lie down. After a while cars started to came by to bring patients, more and more. Woman’s with their little baby’s. It was not always easy to keep the people in a straight line because everyone liked to be seen by a doctor and try to get too the front of the waiting line. At 4:30 it started drizzling so people got up from the ground. More people came and it became harder to keep them in a one by one line. Another security team released us at 06:00 and we went back to the ship with our landrover.

It is really necessary to have security. Years ago people also where afraid not to be seen by a doctor so they all started to rush forward the gate entrance. Some need to go to the hospital and one person died at that time.

At 09:00 my cell phone rings: “Can you come with some white people to the screening side because the crow that is waiting doesn’t want to listen to their own color people”. “They are afraid that they got cheated by them”. We arrived at 10:00. Four hours sleep. Thousands of people where inside the palace place, waiting on their turn to be seen. Few hundred people still outside on the side of the road. Still waiting to come in.

It’s a blessing to be part of a screening day. I saw a lot of sick people with hope in their eye’s… maybe. Together you can achieve a lot. That day we screened 4300 people!
Even after the screening day many people/children came to be seen. The news went around the whole area. One day after 400 people came to one of the clinics. When there is place we will do another screening day for them who are still waiting and who we can help.

Through your prayers and support we are able to do what we do. Bringing hope and healing to the forgotten poor in West Africa. Many thanks to you all for helping the poor! The Great Author, God Himself deserves our worship and thankfulness. Through Him this Day was possible!

My thoughts went to a scripture in the bible:

Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

 

More pictures in the slideshow of my blog (double click on the pictures to enlarge).
May God Bless you all,

Daniel.