It has been an interesting season at the Family Care Centre Clinic!
However, despite several months of community transmission of covid, some staff changes, and the FCC having a heavier than usual patient load for a bit due to Port Vila hospital redirecting all non-covid care to community clinics, the Family Care Centre clinic has continued to remain open to serve the needs of the community.
For several weeks, the FCC was experiencing a high number of patients seeking care due to the Port Vila hospital being closed to non-covid patients. This led to a greater variety of symptoms and needs coming through the doors than usual.
Additionally, the staff transition of longtime FCC nurse Melissa Johnny returning to New Zealand shortly after experienced FCC nurses Anna Harris and Estera Badulescu were able to return to Vanuatu after extended border closure related absences has only increased the sense of readjusting to a new normal for the time being.
On clinic days, staff may see symptoms of coughs, address wound care needs, provide exercises to relieve musculoskeletal pain, conduct antenatal checkups, perform hypertension or diabetes checkup, or identify respiratory infections.
Nurse Estera shares, “Sometimes, for us as nurses, it seems a lot because we not only see patients in the consult but also we have to organise the teams in triage, dental care and others managing jobs. But the Lord is taking care of each one of us and this ministry. The provincial health system sent us a new nurse assistant to help us with the amount of work we have and we are blessed to see improvement in our relationships with them.
Despite the changes required to adapt to the current clinic life, God is continuing to use the FCC: Recently, a man from the neighbourhood came in with ongoing bilateral knee pain. With the resources available, the clinic could not do much for him, but the Lord touched his knee in the consult room and after praying several times, he came out of the clinic able to walk without help.
Testimonies like this fill up our spirits with expectations to see what the Lord has in store for the future.
For more information about how you can be involved in the work of the FCC, please visit: www.familycarecentre.org