PHEBE HOSPITAL JOURNAL

Reports #1 - 4
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Reports #24-29
Report #30
Report #31 (April 17, 2004)
Report #32 (May 20, 2004)
Report #33 (May 20, 2004)
Report #34 (May 23, 2004)
Report #35 (May 31, 2004)

I wish I had the energy to write all separate emails but just
can't seem to manage that, so appreciate both Kit and Holli for
editing as they see fit.

The disarmament started on Wednesday, and we have a few Phebe
employees [who] are involved in the health screenings. The
complexity of this whole operation is enormous, and way beyond
what I have ever even thought of. They are feeding them well,
which is a big help as most have gone hungry many times.

The big explosions we heard tonight [were] the ammo being
destroyed. The whole area around us has been pretty well cleared
of the LURD soldiers except for Leopard, the big shot, living in
someone's house on the Airstrip. [Leopard is the head of the large
and well-armed LURD forces that had surrounded Phebe.] He should
be out soon, I hope.

The traffic around here is unbelievable, with many NGOs taking up
residency here on Phebe compound. All, well most, have fancy
vehicles and who knows how much they do. One of the hard workers
for LWF [Lutheran World Federation] (they built the cantonment
site [for disarmed fighters] in this area) said all of the BIG
WIGS were busy having their pictures taken on the first day while
the drones were trying to work!

This is the first site to disarm, and I believe another will open
on Monday, with 2 more after that, followed by the final 6. No
small feat!

Mike [Schmidt, the volunteer American water engineer] has become
quite the Landlord -- a difficult task when the CHIEF is nearly
impossible to contact or find. What a deal!

I am trying to distribute clothing and the latest is shoes (what a
challenge that is, as they will take anything they like whether it
fits or not). The second day I had maybe 75 children here before
7:30 AM, saying that sis Carrie told them to come. NOT!

Now I am making appointments [for shoe distribution] and it is
quite the feat (what a pun!). I am not very patient at the end of
the day of sorting and arranging medical supplies for the 3rd or
4th time!

Love and Blessings, carrie
***************************************************

NURSE CARRIE VAN EPPS has been to Phebe several times. In
addition to direct patient care has done a lot of organizing
of Phebe's medical and equipment storage. She has earned a
reputation as the unbeatable patient-care nurse!

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This is a two-part message from Carrie, and is therefore longer
than usual. She started it but then the generator went off. The
next day she ran the computer on the big battery pack that runs
the refrigerator, and got finished with the letter. To be a
missionary, you must be flexible.

In this message Carrie examines the missionary larder and notes
what is lacking. The prices for food in Monrovia are about 1.5
times what we pay in the U.S., and the selection is very small.
Often one runs from one store to the next looking for rather
ordinary things. Does anyone want to send some missionary food in the container? You could either buy the food and send it to me to be placed in the container, or you can send me funds and I will
purchase food for the missionaries. To send food, by UPS or U.S.
Mail, address it to

E. Christopher Cone
Grace Episcopal Church
4 Madison Avenue
Madison, NJ 07940-1433

To send money, make the (tax deductible) check to Grace Episcopal
Church, write Liberia Food Fund on the memo line, and mail it to
the same address above. These transactions have to be completedbefore the end of May because I'm getting ready to leave the U.S. and return to Liberia.

One of the most successful additions to the missionary diet has
been the home- canned peaches and pears made by USSELCA women for the annual volunteer work trip. Even though they were packed in conventional glass Mason jars, we had very little breakage -- perhaps one jar in ten cases!

I seem to have made more notes in [brackets] than usual this time.

Kit
=================

Dear Kit etc.,

I won't even get a good start on this before the generator goes
off. Shucks. Computer time is difficult and now the batteries seem
to be complaining. Maybe you or Mikey can answer. Doc checked the water level today. It was okay, but the hygronometer [hygrometer for testing specific gravity of the battery electrolyte] said only 2 were in the green and rest were 'fair or recharge' which we think means we need to have the generator on more. Is that right? [I have written to Carrie to say that her diagnosis is precisely on the mark!] Also, does it matter if we have the switch turned off or on when nothing is plugged in? Please advise, this is not my expertise! I had no idea that this trip would entail such a
myriad of abilities. I am inadequate as a "jack of all trades".
BUT, I am good at a lot of things, lest you believe I am totally
useless! :=)

Today this kid shows up with a nasty cut on his hand and bleeding
to beat the band. Deep and nasty. He fell on glass. Anyhow,
thank God, the OPD had cleared out and I gathered supplies and
after about an hour and a half or longer John had him stitched up
and gave him pain meds and antibiotics. I was the chief surgical
assistant! And we even used novacaine. WOW, did that make him
happy!

KIT; About food. We have lots of rice, pasta, dried beans, apple
butter, spaghetti sauce, salt, flour. [Here is the part about the
missionary larder to which I referred in my preamble:] We need
canned meat and tuna or salmon, vegetables, canned fruits. Also
sugar, though we can certainly buy that here for a price. We have
not eaten any of your food. Only threw away oatmeal and some pasta [because the shipping container leaked and the things were ruined by water]. There may be other spoiled things, but I hope not much.

We are splitting food costs except John paid more than Carol and I
since it was included in his initial cost, so we have mostly covered it (Carol and I). He buys meds, etc. and helps with the propane [for the cooking stove] which we use way too much of!

We just got a stove delivered to House #5 today, but no
refrigerator. I would much rather live there and not have all of
this traffic to deal with. Think we need some serious discussion
on what can work the best to make sure we all have some privacy
and space. I have a GREAT need for that! And am tired of all of
the 'togetherness'. A little is fine but it is TOO much for my mental well being. Running off to Monrovia next week and I sure hope there is a working refrigerator which there hasn't been!

This [letter writing] has to cease as I am going to get "cut off"
[when the generator shuts down]. I will try tomorrow when Richard is washing clothes if Carol doesn't have lesson plans to do.

More tomorrow...........blessings, carrie

Thursday afternoon

OOFDA!!! I wasn't fast enough last night. And I am thankful you
told me how to bring up what I was emailing when we crash the
computer! It works!

Carol and John have gone to Salala, and I am finally going to sit
here for awhile plugged into the batteries as the generator was on
for clothes washing and the batteries are UP again. We just need
to run the generator a small amount each day and I think that will
work!

The Hospital Board is coming on Saturday, so I hope I can
accompany them as they check the grounds and housing to just get a feel for what they plan to say to staff in Salala. [This answers
the question about whether the staff would move back to the
hospital compound today, Thursday, as planned. Obviously not.]
Hope to go to Monrovia next week, so maybe another chance to talk to them. So far, things not progressing well with staff and Dr.
Sandoe just plain worn out as he hasn't the courage to delegate!

The water situation is ready to go if they ever get materials to
build the pump house. D-7 [Dr. Sandoe] claims the request is not
in and Joseph [Curllie, the maintenance manager,] and Kollie
[Massaquoi, the head electrician,] say it is. The never ending
question of who is doing what to this whole operation. Joseph is
going to Monrovia and I asked him to again check to see what
happened to the materials list which they are all waiting for. I
have no idea on the money situation.They never say that is the
problem. Only that they don't have the "list". Whatever!

The staff suggested that they prepay for electricity and then when
they had used their quota or what they had paid for it would shut
off. An excellent idea if it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg to
install such a thing!

WHEW! Just nearly got blown out of the house. Seems they are
doing all of the ammunition on one day now and it rocks the
ground! [This refers to the destruction of ammunition confiscated
from "former" fighters by the U.N. troops.]

Last night is rained A LOT most of the night. The place is a
jungle! But I prefer the natural look with paths cleared to the
manicured look when they cut off all of the flowers!

Time to get some work done.

Blessings, carrie

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Here is a short note from Carrie, written on Thursday night. This
one started as a note to her daughter, Holli, and I have deleted a
lot of personal notes, making it even shorter, but I figured that
Holli doesn't need 200 people reading about her personal ailments
and her love life! So what's left is the pertinent stuff from Phebe. Notes in [brackets] are my own.

Kit
===============

Kit's address is: E.Christopher Cone, Grace Episcopal Church, 4
Madison Ave., Madison NJ 07940-1433 (nothing bigger than a #10
envelope!) Anyhow, he is leaving around the 12th of June so it
needs to be sent before too long to make sure. Any one wanting,
can send me a note by sending it to Kit and he will carry.

Maime Padmore is the lady that was raped by a soldier and is
pregnant. Will deliver in mid-June. I have become very attached
to her and her children. Son Tony was the one that I dug a sticker
out of his foot last week!

I am wondering how we can make it easier for my list to get some
info on Liberia and I can hear that you are burned out and tired!
[I don't know what that sentence means, but I'm reproducing it
here in case somebody else knows.] I am wondering if Kit is
already editing the emails I send, if I should include some of my
people on his one list. Kit, give me some feedback. [I have
written to Carrie to tell her that she is welcome to add anyone
she wants. The list is about 200 people now.] I realize this is a
mess for all of you! I just don't know what to do and will give
it more thought. Maybe just do the individual replies separately.

Carolyn M: Arthur Flomo was here today and helped us unload a
truck that came up from Monrovia with mattresses and bales of
quilts. The news is that the staff is moving up on the 29th and
30th per a meeting today. [The previous date had been for moving
today, May 20.] The Board and Bishop [are] coming on Saturday as
far as I know.

KIT: Thanks for keeping me informed on what is going on. I would
think you could set up your shop again at the maintenance yard.
What does FSWB stand for after Mike's name? [Full Service Water
Boy, a name that Mike created for himself with reference to doing
ANYTHING that needed doing at Phebe Hospital.]

More ideas on food: canned beans ie., kidney, lima, yellow and
green string, butter, fava, chick peas are really good for the
multi-bean salad with onions and italian dressing! Baking soda is
great for LOTS of things and we haven't any so must buy some.
Beets can also make a good salad. Since fresh veggies are
difficult to buy and keep, it is great to have some recipes for
something canned in the veggies department that makes a good
salad. Chile is another good thing and vinegar, if that is feasible. [Carrie is apparently hungry. She has the idea that we will be sending lots of food in the container. Anyone want to send some? See the earlier transmission today for instructions.]

Richard [Flomo, the boss houseboy] is asking when Dr. Riegle is
returning. He really liked her! Of course, he was thrilled with
the luggage she left! I want to know more of the Doorenboses'
possibility to return. [This is an experienced missionary physician, Harvey, and his wife, Margaret, who took a half-year post at Phebe during Dr. Gwenigale's sabbatical, and made a tremendous positive impression on everyone. Having them come back would be better than magnificent!] Sandoe said they are interested. He is the surgeon that did such a marvelous job of teaching the docs here and they really liked him!

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Here is Carrie's Saturday night note. The frustrations of working
with no leadership are evident, but she did get a chance to meet
with the chairman of the hospital's board, Pewu Subah. He is a
dignified, educated, cosmopolitan man with extensive experience in health system management. Elizabeth Sele Mulbah, who is introduced in the note, is the secretary of the trustees, and one of the best people I know.

Kit
================

Having a bad day. Don't think I am homesick. Just tired of not
having any time to myself! I was cranky with my guys today and
then had a meeting with them so hopefully they are okay with that! The good news for them is that Dr. Sandoe needs to have this place cleaned up, and my guys are the only ones that are doing 'whipping' around here [meaning cutting the overgrown grass with long machetes]. The Phebe employees are saying it isn't in their "Job description". WELL then, I said my guys get first dibs on the work and they will be paid by Phebe! YEH! So guess I can't expect them to do anything for me the next week. OKAY.

So Dr. Sandoe and the Board of Directors (6) were here today. Also
all of the staff in Monrovia and Pastor Padmore (no he is not related to that lady and he is now back in Liberia for the Summer!) They traipsed all over the Compound and then we had cold drinks in the Chapel. Pewu Subah [the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the hospital] requested a meeting with we three missionaries for 5-10 minutes, which turned into 55 minutes! It was a good meeting and Dr. Sandoe shared the demands of the Phebe Staff. Namely $5,000.LD [about $100 USD, or about three months' salary] right now and a "resettlement" amount later! Anyhow they will not be able to pay that with all of the financial problems, and I had a chance to say my piece about the loss of trust, not being heard, and need to understand the problems of Phebe honestly
and first hand from the Board. This was agreed upon. Elizabeth
Mulbah, RN extraordinaire, emphasized her agreement: we are
planning to get together in Monrovia for dinner on the Beach! I am
really looking forward to getting to know her better. I am also
very impressed with Mr. Subah and he thanked me for the letter I
sent him though he just got it as he was out of the country. This
accounts for the slowness of the Board getting up to Salala to
talk to staff. This was the plan as they left here! Sandoe just
doesn't understand the need for staff to have a hearing with the
Board! He keeps saying that he has some plans to delegate, and he is asked to give these plans to the Board next Saturday.

Back to yesterday when I was just too tired (that's usual!) to
share my day. It started when I was eating breakfast and hoping to do some serious sorting in the warehouse. Carol and I got a
message from Doc [American volunteer Dr. John Payne] to get down to help at the OPD as things were out of hand with very sick
people! A baby having serious respiratory problems and an IV
running needed to get to the hospital at Salala, and as it turned
out the Bangledeshis' radio was down, so they couldn't get their
ambulance. So John left in the blue car [a little, battered blue
Toyota station wagon that used to be for Dr. Ruth Goehle] with an
ambu bag to resusitate if the baby stopped breathing (I declined
the chance!) and last minute took another sick baby with them! We had the radio so I let Salala know they were coming and asked for tetanus anti-toxin for the kid who cut his hand so badly
Wednesday. (No luck!)

Carol and I started seeing the mulitudes of people in the OPD and
prescribing like we knew what we were doing! Thank God for the
translators. What a blessing they are to get histories straight!
Then I get word there is a "riot" of sorts in Totota (the town before Salala) and sure enough after Doc and carload managed to get around the convoy going to calm the troops, they had a blow out! Spare was flat, so they had to get taxies for the sick to get to Salala. There is never a dull moment!

Totota was soon calmed down but the story is really something! The child soldiers had their guns collected by their commanders, who in turn gave them to their friends and girls with the promise to
give them 30% of the monies for weapons! [Each fighter who turns
in a weapon gets $300 -- a huge sum of money that represents perhaps a year's pay on the Liberian standard of living.] The child soldiers were angry as they had no weapons, and no money! The girls had obviously never carried a gun and so the money is given [by the United Nations] to their parents and if the commanders show up, they will be sent to jail.

OPD went on 'til after 6 p.m., and then at 8 p.m. as we are finishing dinner, there is a lady that has been beaten by her husband. (I am wondering what is in the air, it is the 4th one I know of in last few days!) He had attempted to bite off her finger which looked really nasty. I opted to be the Doc this time and gave her heavy duty pain meds, put her finger in ice water, elevated, and laid her on the floor to calm down and let the medicine work before I would dress it. She was brought over by old man Padmore, who continually said that if it weren't for the "missionaries" she would not be cared for. Even if staff were
here "they would embarrass her and make her wait 'til morning"
"Thank God for you missionaries!" I cleaned and dressed it and
asked a few questions, hoping that someone could put her up for
the night and handle all of this in the AM, and that is what I believe Mr. Padmore did. Today, she stopped back but I will wait til tomorrow to redress it. She appears to be suffering quite a shock and later maybe can talk more. Hope to refer her to the Women's Group if that works. And so it was quite a day.

Maintenence yard has not had anything done as far as clean up
though there are maintenance people here with nothing to do when they haven't any materials. Kollie M. is (after a week) planning to get to Salala to get his tools to finish the electrical in the Eye Clinic! Mikey thought your things would be safe at your SHOP! I requested a separate house today. Sorry, but I can't handle this if I can't get some personal space! And eating alone is just fine with me! No offense! EVERTHING IS IN THIS HOUSE! Computer, food, patients, houseboys, and innumerable NGOs asking about Phebe, plus preparing and planning for every guest that arrives on the Phebe compound and feeding them. OKAY! So I am NOT Bill Martin. [Bill had a well-earned reputation for being able to take care of whatever came in the door -- including ambassadors with their retinues!] I love everybody but need to be with me more!

I am out of time and steam for now......so more another time. I
really want to keep you informed Kit and know that this editing is
more your expertise than Holli's. Please let me know what I can do
to be more helpful!

Blessings, carrie

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Since the evacuation on March 16 of last year, Phebe has operated
a field hospital in the town of Salala, about an hour's ride south
of Suakoko on the road to Monrovia. This field hospital was
conducted in a small community clinic building, supplemented by
two tents donated by the United Nations and a prefabricated
"turtle building" given by AmeriCares. This community clinic is
expected to continue, although I do not know about the future of
the tents and "turtle building."

The returning staff will operate a small hospital at Suakoko on
the portion of the compound nearest the road. Three facilities
that are in a line along the road -- the eye clinic, outpatient
department, and community health department -- were extensively
refurbished by a team of U.S. volunteers sponsored by the Upper
Susquehanna Synod, ELCA, in January, February and March.

At the same time, action is proceeding on plans to reconstruct the
maternity wing of the main Phebe Hospital building. This will be
the first step toward rebuilding the entire main building, and
will provide several wards, some private rooms, a nursing station,
and two operating rooms (in what had been delivery rooms). A grant
for this work has been received, and it is hoped that construction
can begin around July 1.

Here is the full text of Dr. Sandoe's announcement:
==========

Dear All,

Greetings in the Name of our Lord. This is a news that we have
all been anxious to give. We thank God for the His blessing that
has enable us to come thus far.

With transportation assistance from UNHCR, EU and LWF/WS, Phebe
Hospital began returning to her Suakoko compound on Friday, May
28, 2004 and is expected to continue until Tuesday (even thoughthe
trucks will be available till Sunday, May 30, 2004). I are glad
to report that the process is well on course and moving smoothly
with over 50% of the activities completed.

This has been possible through your prayers and support.

Thanks.

Emmanuel M. Sandoe, MD
Medical Director
Phebe Hospital
Cellphone # +377-47-538-676 or +377-47-554-469

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