Our last and final clinic of the trip. We all looked forward to it with eager and excitement in our eyes. Eager because this was the first slum that most of us have ever encountered in our entire lives and excited because after this clinic, we would finally be able to catch up on our sleep. The day began early, clambering back onto the bus and heading over to the University of Nairobi campus to pick up our partners. Watching our partners get onto the bus was bittersweet for some of us because we knew that it would be our last time working together, but regardless our trip to Ongata Rongai was in high spirits.

Making our first turn into the slum, it was unmistakable as to where we were. People seemingly occupied every square inch of this area, whether they were selling vegetables, cooking food for others to buy, or tending to their houses. Goats, dogs, and chickens ran along side our bus on the dirt path that we drove on. Upon our arrival at the heart of the slum, the clinicians went to set up their exam rooms (where two clinicians shared one room), a medication table (intended to be our pharmacy) was placed right outside of the exam rooms, and a tent was erected for the undergrad nursing students to take a histories and triage.

The patients slowly trickled in. One of my most memorable cases was a 22 year old boy who came for high blood pressure. He told us that he initially became aware of this condition when he had to get surgery for his ankle, but the doctors believed that he was nervous about his procedure and overlooked his elevated blood pressure. During his follow up visit, his blood pressure was still elevated at which time he chose to come to our clinic and get a second opinion. The boy told us his story and the doctor completed an assessment. She gave him blood pressure medication and referred him to Kenyatta hospital where they could do more extensive blood work on him and make a definitive diagnosis for the cause of his hypertension. This boy was a student and it is so unfortunate that from lack of access and most likely a scarcity in money, this boy will be afflicted with hypertension for the rest of his life.

This boy was not the only sad case that we encountered in which we were limited in our means to help patients. A pregnant woman came to us with a sky high blood sugar. This woman had type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and was hoping to get free insulin, which we unfortunately did not have. Stories like this woman, made me think about complications that could arise during delivery and the impact that her elevated glucose has on the baby. While we encounter complications like this in the States, it is easier for U.S. doctors to manage because of advancements in technology yet in Kenya this can have devastating outcomes.

While these stories are simply two examples of the sad cases that we encountered, we, on the flip side, also had a positive impact on individuals and the community. We educated people about weight loss, we provided cardiac medication to people who would have otherwise been unable to obtain them, and we even caught new diagnoses that would have been overlooked.

Upon helping over 200 patients, it was time to pack our supplies and head back to the hotel. We left around 5pm that day. The drive back on the dirt path was not even comparable to when we initially arrived. Seemingly unfathomable, more people crowded the dirt paths hoping to get their last sale in for the day. We had to close all of the windows on the bus for security reasons which only caused the bus to be stifling. Only 5 minutes into our drive out of the slum, a truck blocked our way which caused us to simply wait (since the road would not accommodate more than one car at a time). After what seemed like an hour, we finally got onto the main road and were on our way “home”. We sadly said goodbye to our University of Nairobi partners and then made our way back to the Guest House (i.e., our hotel).