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Journey to Afghanistan - Chapter 2, page 7

Night and Day - by Ken Magee

The fresh bread, formed in rolls about an inch thick, circular and about 6 inches across, was lightly browned and had a chewy crust. It was as delicious as it smelled. These rolls continued to be breakfast fare each day for my two months in Afghanistan and I never tired of them. The hot tea was just right for cold mornings and instant coffee was available to mix with the hot water. We took care to use either bottled water or water that had been boiled for about twenty minutes. A sign on the door to the room reading "Ye Olde Barn Door" had been placed by someone hoping to add to the room's warmth.

Dr. Neil Buist, a pediatrician from Portland, Oregon, and part of the previous team, was our leader. As we ate he apprised us further of the camps which were our responsibility, Kamer Bandi Balq and Korazon II. In addition we were to make rounds with the Afghan doctors at the civilian Hospital, also called the Public Health Hospital, in Mazar-i-sharif. Kamer Bandi Balq was a small and a considered-to-be-safe camp while Korazon II was quite different. It was a large refugee camp of about thirty thousand people, erected in some open spaces in the Northern part of Mazar. It was considered to be an unsafe camp for us Americans to enter at that time. Numerous Taliban had defected or melted into the populace as their fortunes had crumbled only a short time previously. To some it would have been an honorable thing to kill "their enemy." On the edge of this massive refugee camp NW Medical Teams had rented an adobe house with two rooms, barren except for a small stove in one. It had a large walled yard with a strong gate. Guards manned the entry and a police station was close by.

We were also told about many meetings sponsored by the United Nations where attendance was expected. Of special importance were the Security Meetings where all the non-government organizations (NGO's) met together with U.N. Personnel weekly or more often to assess rumors and realities having to do with safety. All of these things were discussed and assignments passed out.

In this area with a population of probably just over a million people there were just four hospitals: The Civilian Hospital and a Military Hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif, a small hospital at Koudebarq - about 10 Kilometers to the west, and the Jordanian Hospital set up near the previously bombed out airport to the east of Mazar. We were told it had excellent doctors from Jordan and was also well equipped and very useful as a referral center. The Afghan hospitals, having suffered through years of war, had little left with which to work.

Dr. Buist decided that I and Tom Martin, being new, would go with him to meet the doctors at the Civilian Hospital. Dr. Bill Springer from Seattle and Tom and Donna Armstrong from southern Washington State along with three Afghan doctors went on to the refugee camps. Tom is an EMT-Firefighter and Donna is an RN. At that time the three young Afghan doctors working with us were Dr. Abdullah, a surgeon; Dr. Zabi, a pediatrician; and Dr. Nadia, a lady internist. We were also informed that it would be needful at some future time to meet physicians at the other hospitals.

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