Bitter Pills:Medicines & The Third World Poor | Page 139

They sold their last two ehiekens to buy the Vita-Meycrhov
vitamins.
The health worker explains that the eggs from those ehiekens
would have helped Lino much more than the vitamin pills. But
Dona Luisa is not easily convinced. She thinks that her husband
should be given 'artificial li fc'(I ntra-Venous (IV).solution). The
health worker tells her that this is just sugar water; it would be
safer and cheaper for Lino simply to mix sugar and water, and
drink it. But what the old man really needs is more and better
food. Maybe their neighbours can get together and help them
out with the food problem. He will speak with them.
After the village health worker leaves, the old man and his wife
talk things over. They arc not sure they trust the young health
worker. "What does he know? He is just a villager like us. We
saw him when he was born. An ugly baby at that." They decide
to get Miss Ivy, the nurse, to give Lino some IV solution.
So that afternoon, Miss Ivy comes to the house. (To make the
play more entertaining, t he role of Miss Ivy is played by t he same
young man who plays the health worker. He has to change
costumesquickly.) Nurse Ivy gives Linoan intravenous solution.
He says he feels a little stronger already.
Because they do not have much money, the old couple give the
nurse their prize rooster in partial pay for her services. But they
will still owe her money.
The next morning when old Luisa wakes up, she notices that old
Lino has a fever and seems very ill. She cannot wake him.
She runs lo gel the village health worker. He comes right away.
He asks what could have happened to cause this sudden turn for
the worse. Dona Luisa admits that they did not follow his advice
and instead gave Lino IV solution.
The health worker examines Lino and finds that he is in critical
condition, probably because of a blood infection introduced with
the IV solution. He runs back to the health post to get antibiotics
to fight the infection.
But before the health worker can return with the medicine, Lino
dies. The lesson is painfully clear:
I'ood, not medicine, is the key to good health - especially
for people who are weak and hungry. Do not waste your
money on vitamins advertised on the radio.
Buy food - not vitamins.
And do not use IVsolutions to gain strength.
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