Arrival (been here 6 days)

Well I am extremely happy to be here. It was my second day at the hospital and I helped with actual surgeries. A young man was in a automobile accident and I held him open while the doctor operated, I actually held his intestines and other organs too. We stopped internal bleeding and removed his ruptured spleen. I will be able to do more and more the longer I am here. I am only assigned to work from 8 to 1, but I work all day and am scheduled to work all day everyday. We do medical outreach at the local schools on Thursdays. The smallest cut can lead to a massive infection and amputation. A couple of bandages and some alcohol could save a person's limb. Deeply moving and extremely depressing. That in part is why I am so happy to be here because I actually accomplish good everyday that I could never accomplish in the states. I will have so much to tell in the following weeks about the hospital, but now a quick overview of Ghana. The health and food is HORRIBLE. I bought beans at the market and the people I am staying with had never seen them before. No one with any money eats any fresh produce, it is the cheapest food. Fruit is readily available (3 oranges .20$, 3 bananas .20$, huge coconuts .35$, etc.). The locals do not eat it though. Mangos and coco are grown all over but you cannot buy them. Major companies buy them and sell them abroad. Signs that read "feel good everyday, drink guiness!" and chocolate crap powder with "actigen-e" is the food of "future champions". I must go but I will post more when I can.