Today I didn't go to swahili class or my service learning at the orphanage because I spent 3-4 hours at the Arusha Medical Center. It was not a good experience. The coordinator for TCDC sent me to the doctor that she sends everyone to, but I guess he was having a bad day because he was awful. We get to his office and I explain that I feel fine, but that my professors want me to get a malaria test to prove that I don't have it. He argues that I cannnot have the test without a consultation (which is crap, many other places give malaria tests upon demand because it is so prevalent here) which I consented to even though it was $50 USD for the consultation alone. I go back and he asks what my symptoms were. I told him: delirium, fever, nausea, dizziness, and intense fatigue. He only writes down dizziness and fever before asking how many times I get up at night to pee and if it hurts to swallow- which my answer to both was no. Then, he tells me that it is highly unlikely that I have malaria because i'm on malarone, which is what is used to treat malaria. I agree and retell him why I am there and that I am no longer sick, I just need the test to prove my lack of malaria to my professors. He shakes his head before pointing to my mouth (I have a cold sore) and saying "You have herpes simplex 1." I reply that I know, just about everyone in my family does and it is pretty normal for me. He says it's not normal, that I must have an infection and that a cold sore means that i'm getting fevers in my sleep. We argue, of course, and he says that I need a urine test, blood test, malaria test (to humor me), and an HIV test. I vehemently disagree and refuse to do all of these extra tests, and he just says "I am a doctor, I went to college." I calmly tell him that I understand, but I know my body to which he shakes his head and asks me how old I am. When I tell him i'm 22 he raises his eyebrows in surprise and asks how i'm doing in school. I humor him and tell him that I have a bachelors of social work and will finish my masters next May. He laughs and begins to tell me about how he was good at primary school because he counted cows at home and how he didn't start college until he was 22.
Day 11: Dr. D-Bag & The Mzungu Price
At this point, I just roll my eyes and walk out of the office so the next girl can have her "consultation." All I can think is, "yeah, I am glad you went to college, but I also have to go to college so could you stop jerking me around and get on with it?"
Anyway, he eventually gives me the malaria test which is a quick stick with a (individually packaged, sterile) needle to draw blood which is then collected with a little stick-tool and placed in what looks like a pregnancy test. It was no big deal and afterward I sat in the waiting area for over an hour (the test should only take 20 minutes or so to get results). He never formally gives me my results but has me come to the counter to pay for my test and consultation after I once again refuse to do the other tests. He initially tries to refuse to fill out my travel insurance paperwork, but finally gives in with a huff. I pay 105,000 TZS (Tanzanian shillings) which equates to about $53 USD and we finally left.
Everyone was happy to get out of there and we all joked about our adventure as we went to the bank to exchange our US dollars into Tanzanian shillings. When we got back to TCDC it was lunch time so we munched down and relayed our experience to our peers who were shocked but glad to hear we didn't have the dreaded malaria (which really is not a big deal and is easily treatable). Everyone has been really supportive of each other and has taken care of each other when people get sick, so they were happy to know I was fine and Maxi had gotten something for her foot pain, even if Dovie didn't get any help. Don't worry though, Dovie is fine now :)
So yeah, that was my experience with Dr. D-Bag who jacked me around and overcharged me because i'm a foreigner. All-in-all i'm just glad i'm healthy and feel like I learned a lot and grew closer to the girls who went with me as "emotional support," so I guess it was a postive experience.
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