21-OO-3-D1
WEEKLY REPORT….MEDICAL DEPARTMENT • 18-8-78
FAMILY PLANNING: Mary Lou [Clancey] gave 3 diaphragms to Jonestown people this week. Two have been given to Nationals. We will be giving no more to outsiders until we hear further from the government concerning what they want our policy to be in giving out birth control.
RESPIRATORY: Have ordered thoracotomy tools.
TREATMENT TABLE: Open all day. To be treating the children morning and afternoon. Also Bessie will be going to Apt. 1 and treat children there.
PRACTITIONERS: Breast exams complete. Gave 28 shots of tetanus at .60 each. Judy and Sharon no w seeing patients in Apt. 3.
SPECIAL CARE UNIT: Christine Young very unhappy there. Wants job change. No one with the training necessary wants that job. She said she would hold on until Don Freed left. I don’t see a solution at this time.
MEDICAL INSURANCE: Penny [Kerns] had the files organized Monday which was a monumental job. Pat wants her out of Apt. 1 because she’s always telling the children to live there to be quiet. She has to work alone because we are too crowded here and more important she’s getting into people’s business needlessly and saying the wrong thing. The medical office and patients privacy is enough to handle without her. Pat is going to talk to Ava about a cottage where she’ll have room enough to work.
SECRETARIES: Sue has switched over to medical librarian…much needed. Shirley Fields will be working half days in afternoons.
—–
22-NONE
Scratch paper
—–
23-OO-3-D2
SENIOR CENTER: Cleve came pretty close to having a stroke Wednesday. I don’t know if she will be able to contun [continue] to work a full day…I’m playing it by ear. Six seniors moved out to Trouli 5 and Apts 2 and 5. Cheryl McCall will supervise the situation until Donald Freed leaves. By then they should be adjusted. Najuandrienne Darnes is taking charge of the seniors hair care in her free time. Lovie Jean Lucas who was slated to do it did not follow through.
PHYSICAL THERAPY: Tommy Bogue working additional hour in PT doing well.
INFECTION CONTROL: We are greatly improving our sterile technique in the nurses office. The staff is generally following through well and gets disciplines when they don’t. We are planning to do autoclaving in the early AMs when the laundry isn’t going and on Sunday afternoons. We look forward to getting the stove in the laundry area that’s construction has been slowed down because of priorities with the guests coming to boil infected Sox and underwear. Basically our infections are improving.
SUPPLIES: We had a meeting with Richard [Janaro] about exploring Trinidad as a source for medical supplies and medications. Richard was quite optimistic. Joyce will bring back a Trinidad and Georgetown phone book and we are considering with Dad’s approval contacting different medical suppliers in both locations. It might be a delicate job with Socialized medicine coming to Guyana. Different departments are working on their inventories. Annie [Moore] says she won’t be complete with hers for two weeks.
LAB: Technicians are learning to do blood typing. We want to do culture and sensitivities more frequently than we do so we don’t use our antibiotics so indiscriminately, however Larry [Schacht] says we will need the incubator we let the chickery use and and additional
24-NONE
—–
Scratch paper
—–
25-OO-3-D3
space to put it in to get it done.
NURSES OFFICE: The problem that is plaguing us this week is missing charts. We have a hard time keeping track of them. At this point 3 people are responsible which might be one of the problems. I’m considering asking Heloise Hall to be solely responsible for all of their coming and going and I would relieve her of the protocols so she’s have enough time to get the job done. Luester Lewis who has been working in the rice area part time would like to do it. She told me Joyce said if she found another job she could leave the rice picking. I don’t know if she’s bullshitting, but I do think its a waste of talent her doing rice picking. I told her to check with Joyce as she said Joyce told her to do. I will communicate further on this to you. I am pushing the inservice…we don’t know enough for the responsibility we have, we rely on Larry too much and his judgements aren’t always terrific due to his subjectivity on matters. We have to be in the position of questioning him in a polite professional manner. We also have to aware of simpler more inexpensive ways of diagnosing and treating whenever possible…our training taught us to be too passive and use machines and equipment too much. I will be writing to other countries to see how they do things. In a book I’m reading by the World Health Organization preventative medicine through education seems to be a common thread in Socialist developing countries. I bit off a piece in that direction today by setting up the health and hygiene class for the high school students, I’m also thinking of asking Nancy Sines when there is a PR lull to do some health and infection control posters for the nurses office. The job seems overwhelming.
—–
26-NONE
Scratch paper
—–
41-OO-3-N1
MEDICAL REPORT # 26 leaving Mon 3/27 [Handwritten] Typed Answered 14/4 Phyliss Chaikin
Well how bout a fast report to let you all know what’s cooking here…or at least give it a try!!!
1. Your recently requested Demerol – I am totally unable to get ahold of barbiturates or narcotics; in any quantity. What I can get, I’ve procured. Apparently the Drs here are under investigation by the FDA for over RX of those items, and nobody wants to get involved with ok’ing amounts of those drugs because it may jeopardize their license. They can only RX for those people that are their pts, and in small amounts.
It came back over the radio- to try PETHEDINE instead of Demerol… I cannot find this drug listed anywhere; and the pharmacy doesn’t know what it is either…Do we have a wrong spelling??? Need more info.
2. You also asked for injectable phenobarbital- according to our pharmacist; there isn’t any injectable phenabarb available. Is there something else that will substitute???
3. The silver nitrate or penicillin drops for newborns is not available thru drug houses. The only ones that make it are hospital pharmacies. We are trying now to buy some thru a hospital pharmacy. Still working on it.
4. The incubator at this moment is being worked on to get it in working order, and get the parts needed to maintain it. Still figuring out how to send it. Should have it ready to by the end of the week. Will get it to you then.
5. Received the X-ray lists. Slips etc. that were sent. Chris has sent back via stuff sent by Phyliss more detailed slips for the specific individual to be filled out. We will be sending you that form after they have a chance to print some.
6. Received a list of people from Sylvia who needed medicines. I thought I had let you all know before; at this point we cannot go back to people’s Dr. to get RX. They will not ok them without seeing the person. Even if they did, we do not have any Medical of active insurances that cover to pay for the medicines, so we pay full prices for small amounts… even if we could get them. If medications are needed, that is to be cleared on that end, for what amount, and then I can get it at a cheaper price and get generic for bulk amounts.
7. Also received a list called; Tentative Medica Order; with one side listed from States; and the other side listed from Georgetown. I can do next to nothing with that list. Have no indication of clearance, no idea when it was written (there are several things that I know have been sent; ie the Dorsacaine, sent 10 bottles, the Microcult, sent enough for 100 tests, Premarin, etc.) I will do what I can about some of the items… but PLEASE date lists, sign them, and say whether they have been cleared regardless of price, or you want prices to submit, or we need but don’t want to pay, ie procure. Will save much time in going back and forth for clarification, and much frustration.
——
42-OO-3-N2
8. Still trying to find the sodium bicarb; not available from pharmacy-will try somewhere else. [Handwritten:] Well try Decosta G.T.
9. The prices that were sent last time and this time, all refer to a list I received over the radio as part of a 6 month projection. The prices are for clearance, and then to be gotten back to me; again with the amount that has been cleared ; so that I can go ahead and order; or not order if that is the case.
10. Please let Joyce Royznko know that material for medical uniforms (the stuff the Parr got Mother knows about it), is coming in a couple of bags this time and times to come. However; there are no patterns or zippers.* Please let us know if you need certain item sizes etc. I have no idea what is appropriate for there, as far as styles, etc. I’m sure you’ll come up with just the right things!!! Hope this is all a good start.
11.Nothing else to say that I can think of;
Everybody take care;;;;; I really miss you all; and look to the days we’ll all be there together.
affectionately,
deb
cc-Phyliss Chaiken
Carolyn Layton
—-
45-OO-3-P1 – P2
[Copy of OO-3-N1 – N2, but with handwriting at the top right says “Carolyn Layton”, crossed out, and “for JJ” and “Phyliss Chaiken”.]