Malaria falciparum!

No, dear reader, I don't have malaria (!) but today I went to one of the "proper" hospitals in Kolkata and there I observed a malaria patient. The patient was not in a very bad shape, but had petechial spots all over his body and his spleen and liver was enlarged.

It's not so much about seeing a malaria patient, but more to see that in fact there are cases of malaria in Kolkata and it's not very uncommon! So right now, I'm pretty happy I decided to take the best anti-malaria drugs available on the market. I have sooooo many mosquito bites - and just as many "other" bites that I don't know where they come from (bed bugs?) but they hurt and itch like hell anyway... And the mosquitoes are so aggressive here! Even though I put mosquito repellent and stay in proximity of fans all the time I get bitten :( 

Well well. I went to the hospital together with one of the other volunteers to see what a normal indian hospital looked like. It reminded me about the hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which basically means a very spartan, dirty and worn out place with wards containing 30-40 beds each with no privacy among the patients. The doctors were however very nice and friendly.

One of the patients in the pediatric ward had been in a motor cycle accident, and she had several fractures and was badly burned all over her chest. A terrible sight, poor little girl! Then it reminds you that even though we might be way to over-protective and security manic about the children in Sweden, there is still a point why we have rules and regulations for example how to ride on a bike with a child in the back. In Sweden you have to have a proper child seat securely attached to the bike, and it is mandatory that the child wears a helmet. Here in India I have several times seen kids being transported haphazardly in it's father's or mother's lap on motor cycles, and the other day a father came riding the bike and his tiny little son was standing on it and holding him from behind, no helmet and no seat...!

Well well.

Only 4 days remain now before I leave Kolkata. Feels so strange, time went so quickly....!!! But I really look forward to go to my new "home away from home" - Varkala in Kerala :)

Take care!