Tisserdimine, a village with a big heart
Leg 1, Tisserdimine
First day in the sun
The Gazelles have barely started the first leg when the medical caravan sets off for Tisserdimine.
Located not far from Erfoud, the village is a favourite spot for Cœur de Gazelles, which has been going there every year for the last 4 years. The 62 volunteers are received at the local inn by Karen, the inn’s owner, who ensures that the doctors have the best possible conditions in which to work. The caravan is highly anticipated in the nearby villages, as for most of the inhabitants it is their only medical visit of the year.
As the day progresses, families begin to fill the premises. Some come by car, many on moped or bicycle, and others on foot..
Meticulous triage
The patients who visit the caravan are first greeted by the triage nurses, who assess their medical needs in order to direct them towards the appropriate services.
Each medical specialty has its own colour: coloured stickers are affixed to the patient sheets in accordance with the pathologies to be treated, and the “offices” of the different medical corps are identified by posters of the same colour. A simple, efficient way for patients to find their way around! This first step is essential for the proper functioning of the caravan.
Which doesn’t prevent the doctors from adapting to the circumstances! Some fifteen children, who arrive early in the morning in need of ophthalmological care, are immediately treated by the optical team of medical caravan partner Atol.
Gazelles visit the caravan
One of the day’s highlights is the Gazelles’ visit to the Cœur de Gazelles village. Their final checkpoint is set up close by, allowing them to stop and see the caravan in action. The gazelles are impressed and touched by the magnitude of the work carried out by this dedicated team in the field!
About 320 patients were seen by the Medical Caravan.
SPOTLIGHT: The dental unit
There is a friendly atmosphere in the premises where the team of dentists is set up. 4 of them are taking part in this year’s Cœur de Gazelles medical caravan: Jean-Christophe, Géraldine and Hicham, dentists, and Karima, manager of a continuing education organization for dentists, who assists them with their work.
The hardest part is gaining the patients’ confidence and understanding exactly what their symptoms are. The equipment is carefully sterilized before each intervention, and the patients are treated under local anaesthetic. Once their first worries have been put to rest, it becomes easier for the patients to interact with the doctors, and easier for the doctors to analyse their needs. One painful tooth often becomes 3 or 4! As they have limited access to the medical system, the people who visit the caravan take advantage of its presence to undergo more in-depth examinations.
Most of them are not necessarily aware of all their symptoms, and the doctors often end up providing more care than requested, regardless of their specialty.
Tune in tomorrow for a spotlight on another of the caravan’s specialties!
PHOTOS
