Yesterday in Liancourt

Yesterday after morning conference at the hospital, I left with one of the Rehabilitation Technicians to travel to an outlying clinic run by HAS in the nearby town of Liancourt. We both boarded the same motorcycle behind a driver who took us down the 'corridor' (main drag in Deschapelles) to the main road. There we climbed into a 'tap tap' (open bed of a pick up)along with several school children in their uniforms for the short trip to Liancourt. We arrived at the clinic and went to the small closet size room designated for Physical Therapy. The Tech muttered "it's already hot" as we walked in the door. He was right. I was tempted to start whistling the theme from Bridge Over the River Kwai as the tiny room felt like the sweat boxes where the British officers were kept early in the movie. The fan hanging on the wall could not be used. It had a very frayed cord what would have likely set the plaster wall on fire. I broke out into an immediate full body sweat. However, over a period of time, the sweat began to evaporate and do its cooling work. I felt, not cool, but at least reasonably comfortable. It no longer felt like an unbearable sweat box. The patients began to come in a steady stream with their entire clinic medical record on well worn index cards. They sat on the treatment table without a sheet. We worked with them one by one. I hope we did some good.