Interview: Watertown-Based Nurse Helps Patients In Onitsha Nigeria

By Julie Fay, Milton Patch

Vinieta Lawrence is the Director of Nursing at Emerson Village, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Watertown. She recently volunteered on a medical mission with Onitsha America, Inc., bringing medical care and supplies to Onitsha, Nigeria. The Milton resident spoke with Milton Patch columnist Julie Fay about the vast differences and surprising similarities between health care in Nigeria and in the United States.

How did you come to participate in a medical mission to Nigeria?

One of my nurses knew of this group in Texas that was using telemedicine to treat patients in Nigeria. These physicians (originally from the coastal area of Nigeria) were using the Internet to log in, consult with doctors there and treat the patients. There’s a brain drain (in that) doctors from Nigeria settle in England or Canada or the U.S., but with twelve million people (in Onitsha), the need is great. So this group of physicians has been bringing free medicine and doing free health screenings there. I’ve been in contact with the group for the past four years, and earlier this year they asked me if I would like to be their guest and come.

What was your reaction when they asked you?

I jumped at the opportunity. I’ve always wanted to do missionary work, but as a single mother, I couldn’t commit to the extended time requirements, such as fifteen months for the Peace Corps, or even three months through church. But this was going to be ten days; to turn it down would have been unacceptable to me. I’d supported the missions in the past, but the physical going was much more of a commitment.

What kinds of situations did you encounter there?

I saw the same problems as in the U.S. People had no access to medical care, or the medical care they had was of poor quality, including the medicines. Also, people there, just like some people here, have to make a conscious decision about whether to buy medicine or buy food to put on their tables. It’s ridiculous, and just more ‘in your face’ there than here.

And the health conditions were similar, as well?

There’s a lot of hypertension and diabetes. One patient was so sick, with her blood pressure at 230/110 (normal is 120/80), I picked up my cell phone to dial 911 for an ambulance, but there’s no ambulance to call! I was waiting for her to stroke out on me, but we were able to give her medicines to bring her blood pressure down.

There was this twenty-something kid who was complaining about his eyes. He worked for the Red Cross, helping out his community with an immunization program for children through five years old. We saw him, and he had advanced glaucoma. Here’s this intelligent young man, doing something positive with his life, and he’s going blind. (Blindness is preventable with proper treatment of glaucoma.)

What was the most satisfying thing about the mission?

It was using my opportunities and expertise in a much bigger way than I can do locally. We saw 300 people in those few days, and they were so appreciative. They sang a song for me, and blessed me! Here, you don’t get a thank you when you do your job; people are ready to sue in a hot little minute. There, it was immediate gratification. I saw the results of a dramatic intervention for people who were really sick. It was overwhelming in a good way. It grounded me.

What was your favorite memory you brought back?

One of the doctors gave me a new name: Ada Di Ora Mma. It means “daughter to be appreciated that does good for the community,” or “daughter of the area.” I told (people) I’d see them next year, and I meant it.