The Reality of Healthcare Access: Sophia and Mali’s story
Sophie
Imagine traveling 560 miles to access quality medical care. Imagine how challenging that can be, especially if you are sick and in pain. Imagine how the long travel times can exacerbate the symptoms and discomfort of your illness, leading to further health complications.
This was the case of Sophia, who, together with her brother-in-law, Mali and his father, came to FAME this week. The trio comes from a village in Sanjo in northern Tanzania near the Kenyan border.
Sophie has been sick for a couple of months. She says her headaches are worsening and she's having bouts of fever. She's visited her local clinics, but there has been no diagnosis. She has also ventured into the neighboring country, Kenya, visiting Narok, a town in the southern part of the great rift valley, to seek medical help for her headaches. All with no success.
“I have spent all my savings in the last few months trying to get a diagnosis for my condition to no avail. The hopelessness about the lack of diagnosis and treatment weighed heavily on me. I am a mother of ten, so I’m always busy with my children, but lately, I haven’t been able to care for them. My friends have had to chip in and help.”
When her father-in-law fell sick and Mali decided to bring him to FAME, Sophie begged him to let her join.
“I came to FAME years ago and had good results, so when I got sick again, I wanted to return but couldn’t. It’s such a long journey from home, which I cannot make alone as a woman. First, it’s an overnight trip, as by the time we get to Karatu 12 hours later, it’s already evening and we have to spend the night in Karatu and see the doctor in the morning. Spending a night in a foreign place is too scary for me to do alone and my husband would definitely disapprove! So I was happy to be able to accompany his family here.”
Mali first came to FAME years ago when he had a neurological disorder.
Mali
“Someone in my church mentioned that FAME had good doctors, affordable healthcare and treated many complicated diseases. So I decided to come here. At FAME, I met the neuro team [led by Dr. Michael Rubenstein], who treated my symptoms and restored my daily functioning. From this treatment, my symptoms improved and finally went away entirely. This was six years ago and I have been okay since then!”
Mali explains that he has returned to FAME five times since, not including the number of times he has brought his relatives and family for medical attention.
“FAME is very far from our village. We come here because this kind of quality, affordable healthcare is unavailable to us where we live. To access it, we have to make a long journey. It’s a full-day trip and we take three buses to get here, so it’s not the easiest of journeys. It is an expensive trip for us as sometimes we use a lot of money usually saved for the home. However, it’s worth it. Once you have been to FAME, you are cured and can return to work!”
Today Mali is bringing his 75-year-old father to FAME. He has been suffering from a stomach infection for two months. He has sought medical help close to home, but his condition has worsened. This is the first time that Mali’s father has been to FAME.
Sophie (left) poses with her Father-In-Law (center) and her Brother-In Law (right) at FAME’s Outpatient Department (OPD).
“I have told Mzee [father] that the machines at FAME will see inside his stomach and show what is wrong!”
“I have heard good things about FAME from my son and other villagers. That’s why I agreed to come here. It’s a long journey and I’m old and not as strong as I used to be, so it does take a toll on my body. My son assures me that the doctors here will find out what’s wrong and cure it. That would make me very happy.”
Sophia was pleasantly surprised when she saw the doctor.
“I have seen the doctor, who has treated me for the headaches and fever. He is optimistic that this treatment will work. He has asked about the swelling on my face, which I have had for many years. I told him that it had been operated on thrice but kept growing back. He has asked me to come back at the end of the month and talk to the surgeon, who will determine whether anything can be done about it. I’m happy because the doctor asked me about it, despite my not mentioning it. I have had so many failed operations and false diagnoses that I resigned myself to my fate, that this swelling would be on my face forever, but the doctor has given me hope! Even if nothing comes from the appointment with the surgeon, knowing someone cared enough to help is amazing!”
“FAME was definitely worth the long trip. It might be far from us, but at least it is here. And it is helping us!”
* The patients’ names have been changed to protect their privacy, and permission was secured to share their stories. The quotes have been translated from Kiswahili to English.