Day One (July 3, 2006)

Part of our planet is literally dying. I trained today with Dr. Redelinghuys (a South African doctor named Johan). The clinic was packed. Four practitioners saw 35 HIV positive patients each. Most were in there late 20’s. Of the 35 we saw, 10 were well, 5 had untreated, active TB, 15 had end stage HIV, 6 had PCP pneumonia and one women died of PCP as she was being wheeled from our office to be admitted to hospital. I diagnosed my first case of Lymphogranuloma Venereum. There are only 15 documented cases of LGV in Ontario. It is seen with regularity in Africa. Because of Tsepong, this man received treatment. Two patients were too sick to come in. At one point Johan exclaimed to the interpreter that this was number 5008. Tsepongs patient population of HIV positive patients has now exceeded 5000 in just over 18 months.

Our interpreters name is Matsebojang. She is the lovely lady who prays and praises with the patients in the hallway in the film. This happens every morning at 8:15 and tomorrow I will be there. At one point, in between patients, Matsebojang looked at me earnestly and said, ” The Besotho are dying, my country is dying.” Despite all of the death and severe illness, the agony and suffering, there is a sense of tremendous hope that comes in the form of 6 Canadian team members and 5 miraculous medications. Those who have recovered on ARV’s are vibrant and hopeful. This hope has spread and the numbers who present for testing and treatment are swelling daily. The issue is not meds, the issue is manpower. Lesotho needs Tsepong to be replicated across the country. If they can do this and I believe they can, the country will survive but not before thousands die.

Tomorrow is children’s day. This I am not looking forward to. All the children are HIV positive and most are orphans.

On to day two.

Anne-Marie