What its Like to Visit a Public Health Clinic

After all these years, and things have improved a lot in 11 years, it is possible to bring to you images from "day to day" living, not just a rare image on a news letter... So now as I walk along I think of what pictures I may take to help bring you "here" to where I am.

This is one public health clinic or "health post" as it would be translated from Portuguese to English... People wake up at 4 AM, earlier or later depending on the urgency of the problem and go to a public health clinic. When the clinic opens there are "fichas" or numbers given to people that are in line guaranteeing that they will be attended that day.

On this day I was called to take someone to the clinic. We were fortunate to be seen immediately because the person being seen is severely deformed and has to be held or he lashes out and could hurt someone so we were seen rather quickly... So an appointment was made and we were in and out quickly.

I have used this clinic when I needed medical care in the past, and because I have no insurance this is also my personal clinic... I thank God that I enjoy good health for the most part, and hope that by the time I actually need more frequent care that the public system improves.

It is not rare that to even get a simple x-ray you must drive to two or three different facilities searching for one that actually isn't broken!

This is a major modern, wealthy city in Brazil... Imagine what the rest, less fortunate ones face...