Centre 4 - Episode 3: Chicken Sticks
Scene 1
Exterior - Trading Centre Market - Day (early morning)
Chicken sellers are chasing a possible chicken THIEF, tearing at his clothes. We see
Moses hurrying through the market on his way to work. The chase continues behind the
latrines. CHICKEN MAN, a big, strong man, emerges from the latrine, hitching up his
pants. A bus pulls up, he runs to pick up some chicken sticks to sell (he doesn't wash his
hands). Most of the other sellers abandon the chase to sell. Chicken Man fells ill and
returns to his WIFE and 5 year old CHILD. The child doesn't look well. Livingstone
stops and hails his friend. He asks Chicken Man why he doesn't go to the hospital, he
doesn't look well – he says he has the runs. His Wife replies that he is stubborn. Chicken
Man tells Livingstone he must earn money so the child can go. Livingstone repeats that
Chicken Man should come in. Livingstone must hurry off - he's late for work. End on
Thief running out of the market, naked except for his nice white socks, a few chicken
sellers still chasing him.
Scene 2
Exterior - Clinic - Day - a few minutes later
As Moses walks towards the entrance, we see a small group of mourners, wailing as they
push a simple black coffin with a white cross on a bicycle out of the compound. Moses
sees this and moves quickly into the building.
Scene 3
Interior - Clinic - Day
Moses pushes through a crowd of patients to where Livingstone is sorting through the
mail. Reception is very crowded. Monday is shouting at the patients, Jean is taking in
people to examine, Wilberforce isn't there to help, she's overworked. Gertrude is
continuing her Yellow Star work - we see her put up a poster promoting hand washing.
One envelope is marked urgent - Moses grabs it and tears it open. He quickly reads it and
asks where the doctor is. He's told she's in the ward, he rushes off.
Scene 4
Interior - Women's Ward - Day
Moses rushes in. Sophia looks up, irritated. Moses tells her it's confirmed - it's cholera.
Wailing starts on either side, the nursing aides rush in, Sophia takes control. Sophia
indicates that the first thing they must do is ensure proper hand washing techniques are
followed - Hope, who has been helping Sophia looks down at her hands - she's worried.
Sophia continues - they need to quickly set up some drips for their most critical patients.
Sophia, furious, grabs Moses, heads to the corridor - she tells him never to say
something like that in front of her patients again. She asks where Wilberforce is - Moses,
offended, walks away without replying. Sophia shouts at his retreating back to find
Wilberforce, as he is needed at the clinic. Follow Moses around the corner, where he runs
in to Bosco - loitering. Moses, in a undertone to Bosco, "You know where Wilberforce is
- go and get him - quickly."
Scene 5
Interior - Dispensary - Day
Innocent is pulling ORS and Darrow fluid bottles down from the shelves and packing
them into a black bag. Sophia bursts in, he covers by looking like his is re-arranging
supplies. Sophia is concerned over the state of their supplies - do they have enough ORS,
drips, tubes, for a cholera outbreak. Innocent says they don't - it's also very obvious from
the shelves. Sophia tells him to order more - in the meantime, start making some ORS up
himself. She leaves, and Innocent hesitiates - then picks up the black bag of pilfered
items, and heads out to where Bosco was loitering. He isn't there. Innocent goes outside the ambulance is disappearing in the distance. Close on Innocent's reaction.
Scene 6
Interior - reception - Day
Sophia meets Jean, tells her to treat every case of adult diarrhea as cholera. They need to
set up themens ward as a cholera ward - the patients must be isolated. Sophia heads to the
radio to contact the DMO – doesn’t know how to operate it. Moses appears and helps her
get a clear connection. She is grateful, but irritated - she thanks him, and tells the DMO
that they have confirmed Cholera in Konaweeka. The male voice on the other end of the
line tells her that they have reports of cases from (three towns on the bus route from
Konaweeka). The DMO is preparing supplies and staff - the clinic should send their
ambulance to pick them up. Sophia turns to Moses - where's the ambulance? She turns
back to the radio as the voice continues - they hope the staff is observing proper hand
washing techniques, and also that they can find the source of the outbreak. Innocent
comes in with the black bag - he tells Sophia that he has found more re-hydration
supplies! Door bursts open, Chicken Man staggers in, with Wilberforce and Bosco close
behind. He collapses, and Wilberforce catches him - immediately starts to administer
medical care. Sophia yells at Bosco to go get the supplies from the DMO Sophia again
takes control - orders Moses to help Wilberforce, Monday to prepare a bed. End on
Moses recognizing Chicken Man from this morning.
Scene 7
Interior - Clinic - Day
Moses and Wilberforce are wheeling Chicken Man through wards - he is protesting that
he is all right and must go back to the market. Livingstone passes them in the hall
carrying jerrycans of clean water. He is glad to see his friend - Moses tells Livingstone
that Chicken Man has left it late to come in. Livingstone looks concerned, hurries off to
do his job. Moses keeps recognizing people he knows from the trading centre - young
men from the football team, neighbors, etc. Pass one bed where a VISITOR is
comforting a sick man - Chicken Man pleads with him to go and tell his wife that he
won't be in the clinic long - worried about sick child. Visitor agrees to go to Chicken
Man's family. We see Moses begin to put everything together.
Scene 8
Interior - Dispensary - Day Innocent is working at the ORT with Sophia. Monday comes in and picks up some items
- Innocent snaps at her - "have you washed your hands?" Moses comes in and pulls
Sophia aside - he tells her his suspicions, and says he want to check out the Trading
Centre Market. He also tells her that they need to inform Zachary.
Scene 9
Exterior - Clinic - day
Moses is heading off to the Trading Centre. He passes Jean, who is lecturing the less ill
on proper hygiene and ORT. Moses continues across the compound, joining Visitor, who
is also headed to the trading centre. They pass a man looking for the latrines - Moses
points him towards the clinic latrines. We follow the man over - Livingstone is standing
next to the latrines, ensuring that everyone who exits washes their hands.
Scene 10
Exterior - Trading Centre Market - day
The Trading centre is NOT a clean place. An open sewer runs through it. They are killing
chickens nearby - their heads float down the sewer. Other indications of uncleanness and
disease. At the Chicken Man's stall, his Wife is cleaning Child's bottom - she throws the
tissue into the sewer, and wipes her hands on her shirt. Moses and Visitor enter - Visitor
is telling Moses about the rampant diarrheain the market. They come up to Wife - Visitor
buys some maize from her. She serves it to him without washing her hands - he begins to
eat. Moses chides him for not washing his hands first.
Scene 11
Interior - Clinic - day
Sophia is trying to calm a disgruntled patient. Patient is very upset - poor service waiting too long - he will go back to Dr. Wilbour's office. Sophia is confused. Dr.
Wilbour? Wilberforce enters and patient enthusiastically greets him as Dr. Wilbour. End
on Wilberforce reaction.
END OF PART ONE
Scene 12
Interior - Clinic Day - Continuous with Scene 11
Wilberforce looks at Sophia, Sophia - "MR. Wilberforce - " indicates her office.
Wilberforce turns to the office.
Scene 13
Exterior - Trading Centre Market - Day
Moses is taking a sample of the market sewer water. Another bus - he is nearly knocked
over by chicken and Maize sellers. Moses steps back and sees Wife wiping Child's
bottom again. He reacts as she wipes her hands on her shirt. He asks her why she doesn't
have something to wash her hands. She responds that it's not necessary, it's only a child everyone knows that a child's feces are clean. Moses strongly responds that that isn't true.
He stresses the importance of good hygiene. She points out that no one in the market has
a washing area. (Moses may illustrate uncleanliness of child feces by pointing out the
flies around). Moses tells her he is from the clinic - he notices how sick the child is,
insists the mother and child come to the clinic.
Scene 14
Interior - Doctor's Office - day
Sophia is confronting Wilberforce, but she cannot pin him down. He admits he runs a
clinic, but he puts in the hours at work and does he job well - have there been any
complaints? Running a private clinic is not a crime. Sophia is frustrated - points out
patients had to wait for his help this morning - a small moral victory. She tells him he
must come on time, and do his job while he is here - but neither one has a clear victory.
Wilberforce leaves, and (pops a heart pill as he exits into the busy reception area). Sophia
storms out of the office behind, pushing him aside. Jean comes up to her and tells her that
Chicken Man's family have come in and that Moses is testing a water sample. Sophia
heads for the lab.
Scene 16
Interior - Lab - Day
Sophia bursts into the lab - Moses is examining a slide on the microscope. He stands up
to let her look at the specimen. He watches her as she looks down the microscope (if
possible, we see stock footage of cholera bacteria). She looks up and their eyes meet
(sexual tension - they are standing very close)- they now know the source of the problem
– basic hygiene, handwashing. Sophia says they must tell Zachary - Moses volunteers to
go and get him. Sophia heads to the ward to see Chicken Man's child.
Scene 17
Exterior - Clinic - Day
Moses runs across the compound to his lodgings. He jumps on his motorbike and roars
off.
Scene 18
Interior - Cholera Ward - day
Livingstone is at the door of the ward - he sprays Sophia with disinfectant as she enters.
She is wearing gumboots - she steps into a trough of disinfectant and heads into the ward.
Livingstone sprays himself, walks into the trough, and enters the ward as well. We see
Chicken Man fighting for his life in the cholera bed (a bed with a hole in the bottom and
a bucket underneath - for worst cases. It is separated somewhat from the rest of the ward
by screens. Sophia orders another drip for him, and continues on. Livingstone empties the
bucket from underneath the bed -- he is horrified. He looks down at the bucket and
shudders, glances compassionately at the man. He heads out with the bucket, passing
Sophia with the sick child - Chicken Mans wife is hovering nearby. She calls for a drip
for the child (note - IV drips are only used in worse case scenarios). Hope passes by and
whispers that they are out of drips. The mother walks behind the scene to be with her
husband, we can hear her crying softly. Sophia replies that some are on the way, Bosco
has gone to get them.
Scene 19
Exterior - Clinic - day
Bosco roars up in the ambulance (perhaps parks on the grass). He jumps out and starts
carrying medicine and other supplies into the clinic, assisted by several NURSING
ASSISTANTS FROM DMO. He rushes into the dispensary, drops the supplies down and
rushes out to get more. Wilberforce and Innocent are in the dispensary, after Bosco
rushes out, they continue their conversation Wilberforce - "What happened this
morning?" Innocent "I almost got caught". Hope enters, sees the new supplies, and grabs
a drip for the sick child. Wilberforce eyes her attractive figure as she rushes away.
Scene 20
Long shot of the market trading centre. Moses and Zachary are going though - Moses is
pointing out the problem areas – no water and no facility for washing hands outside of the
latrine. Zachary looks interested and concerned. End close to Zachary as he takes charge
of the situation.
Scene 21
Hope is assisting Chicken Man, trying to feed more fluids into him. His Wife is
questioning Hope - Hope reassures her that they are doing everything they can. Hope
leaves Chicken Man and passes Sophia - Hope asks Sophia if the man will be alright.
Sophia say they will do everything possible - and goes in to see him.
Scene 22
Zachary is on a box in the marketplace. He is addressing the crowd with the following
points:
-
There is a problem with cholera
-
This problem is caused by poor sanitation - not washing your hands after using the
latrines, before preparing food, or before eating food.
-
The germs get on your hands – you can’t see them, they’re too small. When you
touch food, the germs go on the food, when you eat the food, the germs go in you.
You then get sick. Don’t worry, the solution is easy – Wash your hands before
touching food and after using the latrines. LC3 will provide water – all you need to
provide is soap – and use it.
-
If there is a case of severe diarrhea in the community, it must be brought to the
attention of the local council, so they can inform the health centre.
Scene 23
Chicken Man is with his wife, gasping his last breath. He reaches for her hand - he is too
weak, it falls to the bed. His wife reaches for his hand, looks at his face - eyes half closed,
not breathing. She calls for the nurse - Hope comes in. She goes to the bed and examines
Chicken Man - she looks across the bed to his wife
CUT TO: Sophia at another bed treating another seriously ill patient, as WAILING of
Wife begins. Sophia's reaction. We pull back - Livingstone's reaction. Close.
Closing Credits
Sophia is summing up a long day.
-
if Chicken Man had come in earlier, they may have been able to help him.
-
They saved the child
-
Zachary has met with local leaders, improvements are being set up in the market
-
Stresses need for good hand sanitation to prevent not only cholera, but other diarrhea,
worms, etc
-
Washing hands is the key for preventing many diseases.
We see the market improvements, people bringing cans of water from the borehole,
washing their hands in the market.
THE END.