#9

We are listening to a woman singing is she grand gloomy.

That wouldn't come.

The National Association of educational broadcasters braze ons Americas African

heritage recorded in Africa by Skip Westfall program

9 1 doctor for 30000 people here

to skip Westfall a part of the story behind the gathering of the

clusters of fruit of the palm tree is the danger involved on the part of the

workers.

I'm speaking now from one of the wards of the Evan Jellicoe Medical Institute. It

can pity in the western part of the Belgian Congo. The director

of the institute is Dr. Glen Tato of the American Baptist

Missionary Society. Doctor title by the way comes from a neighboring state of

mind from Minnesota. It's a pitiful sight to see some of

these patients some of them have broken back others have fractured MEMS

and there are numerous causes for these injuries. I one of them is the result

of falls from a palm tree. Acting as my guide on this

tour of the hospital. Is Miss Sylvia violate. I Where do you come

from this whiling.

From England broads Broadstairs inroads it is England's up

England. Is that near London. It's about 80 miles from London.

Enjoy your work here much and most interesting it's a wonderful

wonderful opportunity for services and it certainly is to the Africans and

if I may do you have many patients being treated here as a result of the fall.

Cause from the palm tree.

We've had four during the last three or four weeks

injured his spine.

One was concussed. One was a little child to fracture the

femur and the man who was just going to speak to us.

He fractured his pelvis.

Well this isn't actually in the Palm Grove area you.

Know are there not many plump non-mentation around here than you would you

call that a high percentage. Yes I quarter it is quite a high in one of the

antigen Evidently the job of climbing a palm tree is quite risky business isn't it. It

is it seems to me.

I understand that the young man here in this bed has suffered from such an

injury. What is his name. What is

this boy's name.

Kula who rather wears his father quite serious. Yes.

What was the injury. He fractured his pelvic bone and it's taken just about

six months for it to heal. Oh yes and I know what he's walking now with a stick. But he didn't.

Well then after six months he hasn't fully recovered from. You can

walk. He has no pain. But he won't be able to climb boundaries again. But when

you ask him as far away how the accident happened.

When he was little by the map

was written by your map.

What did he say. How did the accident happen.

He said he slipped he would slip down the street.

Oh yes. How hard was he above the ground when he fell.

Thankee luck on top of you.

They would you ask him again and.

We know and I.

Went to the

many meters high. It was very high. You can't judge.

Was he with other workers at the time.

Yes I understand there were a number of workers and they took him directly to the

hospital. How far is her home from camp.

Eighty miles used to travel. You can travel on the train and take a bicycle that he planned to

return to his work in the road.

Perhaps we should explain.

We have a number of the boys of the standing about here listening to

a bit of a laugh out of your.

We repeat the question.

There for a second.

Yes you must enjoy the work.

I don't think he enjoys the work I think the question not having any other job.

What type of work will he do when he gets back and we climb the trees again.

So you might.

Be able to climb up into the trees but you can really really I'm going

to start picking them from the ground. Would you ask him if you

have friends who have been injured in while gathering the fruit.

While bound to look like a bit of my time toward where the freely

given to them I'm looking we

don't look at it like that if he said you know quite a number.

Some who fall in and who kill themselves and some who can

see now he have he has a special problem too doesn't his wife is with him isn't you.

Yes he wanted to go out this morning and I said well it was very convenient for him to

go out because his wife has just come in she's epileptic and she's expecting a

baby in a few days time. And I said well it's not safe in him to travel with his

wife expecting a baby on the way. He stayed and he said well he

hasn't any money because he hasn't been working for the last six months.

I understand that the patients here are usually accompanied by members of the family.

Yes we expect everybody to have at least one help. Help us do the cooking for the

patients. They do all of the cooking in these outdoor kitchens.

We see here and I know you have duties which are calling in this

morning so I won't take any more of your time.

And by the way what language does this boy speak he speaks.

Oh yes I remember you you said that on the Congo. How would you say to him

in Congo. I hope you will soon be well.

Need to remember I want me

to our friend.

I mean that's what they want to talk to.

Nations and words seem to be quite happy in spite of the fact that some are

here. Never mind.

Let's see if you can recognize it.

I think I gave my life for the White

House given me.

Dr Cottle and his associates have achieved something here in this hospital with AIDS which is

little short of miraculous. From 1950 to 1955 one hundred

fifteen buildings have been constructed here. Their total value is approximately

$500000. The government of the Congo recognizing the value of

Dr Tuttle's work appropriated three hundred fifty thousand dollars of this amount.

There are now 70 nurses in training here. The nurses man and

16 girls who are taking the three year training course for midwives. The

great need for a medical training school is indicated by the fact that there is only one

nurse for 10000 people in this country. And only one doctor for every

30000. Compare this figure of one doctor for 30000 with

America where there is an average of one doctor for 600 people.

Before interviewing the man who had broken his pelvis in a fall from a palm tree. I

visited the Children's Ward. It was sad to see those little fellows most of them

5 to 10 years of age stretched out in casserole with the weights pulling on

their legs. One boy of six years of age and lain in a cast on

his stomach for ten months. He had come to the hospital paralyzed from the waist

down due to tuberculosis of the spine. He was treated with

streptomycin injections and given various tablets to clear up the infection

and placed in the cast. According to the nurse attending him in another two

months the boy will start to walk again. One of my

interesting experiences while visiting the hospital here was the opportunity to witness an

eye operation by Dr. Olson formally of Omaha Nebraska. Dr.

Olson was confident that the man who had been blind would soon be able to see.

It has been an inspiration to see these devoted doctors from Minnesota and Nebraska

out here in the heart of Africa giving their lives to enable the lame to

walk and the blind to see just a few moments ago

I had the interesting experience of seeing a baby 10 minutes old the

nurse who was with me at the time was Mr. Varney who acted as my interpreter. A few

moments ago. Mrs. Romney said to the mother how do you feel.

The mother looked up at her and with the sweetest smile replied

softly in key combo. I have great happiness.

Let's move on down the ward now. You can step outside for a moment.

Just on the other side of the hill beyond the nurses quarters. We see smoke rising

from a grass fire. I was told that the fire had been set to drive the

pythons out of the tall grass. They had been getting too numerous around the hospital

for comfort. More power to the boys and smoking out those snakes.

The farther raise they away the better I like it. We're now standing

near one of the cook houses where some of the women are busily preparing meals for the

patients. There is no central kitchen here. The wives or other relatives

of the patients come with them to the hospital and prepare their meals for them.

At night. The members of the family often including children sleep on

mats on the floor or under the bed near the patient.

Nearby we see one of the women grinding meal by something a heavy stick into a

kind of wooden bucket.

The song is about the problems of a new bride. It tells how

she wants to cook her husband good food she cooks him chicken but he doesn't like the chicken.

She cooks pumpkin seeds. He doesn't like when she cooks peanuts for

him. He doesn't write. He just doesn't like anything she cooks.

And finally the wife what I'm wanting to do about it. At

last in desperation he says to her husband. So I cook your problem.

I suppose that's what we would do if you were

it appears that African Why is there a problem where there has.

This has been program nine of America's African heritage. These

programs feature recordings made by world traveler skip Westfall on a recent trip to

Africa. The series is made possible by a grant and a dual radio station w

o i Iowa State College from the Educational Television and Radio Center

production is under the direction of Norman B Clary. This is Reg speaking for the National

Association of educational broadcasters.