A good week with PEPFAR

Lately I've been up to my eyeballs in spreadsheets and budgets having extraordinary bonding times with my computer, which is safely tucked away in one of the most beautiful buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. But the numbers meant absolutely nothing to me.

It was an incredible experience this week to visit some of the sites that we (CDC/PEPFAR) supports. Dr. Son, the project officer for care and treatment, took me to 4 OPC (Outpatient clinics) where they have a variety of activities including VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing), OI/STD (Opportunistic Diseases/Sexually Transmitted Diseases) drug dispensing, PE (peer education), laboratory and finally ARV services (Antiretroviral-- the treatment for AIDS). One of the OPCs had 4 doctors and 4 nurses in the same small room seeing patients. Can you imagine getting your STD checked out in the same room as all of these other people or talking about your HIV status? This violates the basic principle of treatment of HIV-- confidentiality. Anyway as I've been going through the overall budget we've found quite a bit of extra money. What an incredible experience to see a need and be able to fill it will ease! I can't wait to go back in a few months and see each of rooms being used by only one doctor!

The next OPC was like a cooking oven. There was very little ventilation, which can be unnecessarily dangerous when Tuberculosis (TB) is in the picture. The OI and ARV drugs were being stored at room temperature, which makes them less effective. Anyway about the time we started talking about negative pressure ventilation and air-conditioning with the doctor and administrator the lab man came out and was practically begging for us to expand it to the lab where he said he is roasting (probably not in those words but...). Great! Let's do it... When there is a happy doctor and lab man you may find better treated patients!

At another OPC in the rural outskirts of Hi Chi Minh City we saw that the group counseling was being held on plastic stools in front of the clinic for all to see. Again no confidentiality! So they were requesting to build a group counseling room where more HIV/AIDS patients would feel comfortable. No problem!

There are a lot of challenges with PEPFAR but one thing is that it really can meet a big need! Dr. Son said that the best thing the president has done was fund PEPFAR. It has been the only sustainable program to address the HIV need in Vietnam.

It was a satisfying week. :)

The Market

Ben Thanh Market is the seat of all trade in Ho Chi Minh City!! One may find smelly, dried fish/seafood, live seafood, sparkly shoes, hair clips and my favorite... kapri clad German tourists!!

I find the shops around the market to be very exciting. There are many pearl and gem shops and salons for getting my nails done. It is also across the road from the bus station if I can ever figure out which one to take.

It's super crazy inside though. The walkways wind around like a labyrinth through the overstuffed booths. The only way to really know how to get back is to remember the stuff that you went by to get there. Ex) Pass 5 hair clips shops, turn left at the sandal isle pass 10 booths selling the exact same sandals, go through the smelly, dried fish, turn right at the buckets of live fish and squid and then you'll be outside!

It is truly an Asian experience and the advantage is that you will be taller than all of them so everyone will know where you are!

Paper clips, fax machines and video conferences!

Now I can watch The Office with sympathy! I work in one now. It's kinda weird because when I think about Siagon I think that I would at least get to ride to work on an elephant and pass all kinds of tropical trees, you know? But alas I have a motor bike driver come pick me up in the morning and everyday is an adventure in the dance of motorbikes for 10 minutes! I did buy a pink helmet, which makes me very happy!

But in general I'm getting use to working in an office. I have file folders, a password for my very own computer and a little cubicle with drawers to store my coffee and jasmine green tea! There is even a water cooler next to the conference room where we do indeed do the socializing. And even though it is 90 degrees outside I wear long sleeves to ward off the outta control air conditioning. But unlike Pam and Jim I have a great boss/mentor and wonderful coworkers. If you ever come visit me you'll see that the Vietnamese people are pretty much the nicest group of people in the world!!

I promise to keep writing on my blog. Just keep me on the ball!