Pakistan Floods 2010, Doctors Worldwide - Day 3, 10/10/10 - Doctors Without Work

It's now midnight. The cockroach in the bathroom has been replaced by two frogs & a beetle. The electricity's gone (again) so there's no way that either of us is going in there.

Today (Sunday) was a holiday. We went to Mardan's main market & bought some equipment for the health clinics. The hustle & bustle of the market was exciting. We visited a taylor who measured us up for a pair of shalwar kameez.

Abdul Wahab (who is looking after us) took us to his house (which is very big) in the village of Gandheri. It was submerged under the flood water. His wives & children (that explains the big house) are moving back in tomorrow.

Whilst there, we met a man who was in need of 'some' money so that his wife could undergo medical investigations. We examined her health records before agreeing to provide the money from funds given to us by friends & family. Expenses will be overseen by a colleage.

We are in the middle of a very conservative area where adult men & women are segregated most of the time. As you can imagine some of the villagers were more than a little perturbed when Ripon appeared on a rooftop to admire the village scenery! (ok it was an innocent mistake in his attempt for at a panoramic view of the village from above).

Tomorrow I'm going to work at the clinic. Other tasks include planning & helping to create a workable medicines management programme. This is going to take days. The medicines are literally 'all over the place!'

The Internet is still not working. I'm assured it will be fixed tomorrow. At least that's what Abdul Wahab tells me over a cold glass Mountain Dew & fresh hot samosa.