Internet fail

Apologies to all. Thunderstorms have meant that Internet access has been pretty much non-existent. Lots to update you on though so please bear with us.

Pictures tell more than words

Reality

The hospital was built by the British for a population of 6 million, it now serves 34 million. There are patients literally lying outside the wards, waiting for a bed to be vacant. As they can't afford the hospital canteen, there are lots of picnics going on...

I visited ICU, they have 4 ventilated beds. (We have >12 at RSCH, with more to follow very soon). The ENT list didn't start till 11am today - the hospital water supply didn't work, a frequent problem. No morphine, nitrous oxide or air gases in theatre either, short supply. Everything is recycled, they always have to make to do with what they have. Mandy & Janet are trying to introduce the concept of a WHO check and educate the theatre staff basic surgical safety, they have a long way to go...

San has listed 6 patients tomorrow, I don't think we will get through them, the first one is 3 days old. It just takes forever to get anything done in theatre...


Bhav

Day One

Our eyes have been well and truly opened!!!!!

After our very late/early arrival and very little sleep, we headed off to Mulago Hospital. 
We were greeted very warmly by the local staff, and they then gave us a guided tour of their hospital including the ENT ward and clinic. 
We also had a tour of the operating theatres. 
We were then split into groups where Mr Sunkaraneni, Dr Hili and Dr Joshi went off to clinic to assess some patients that could require surgical intervention whilst the ENT team were in Uganda.
Dr Patel and Mandy Vincent went off to the paediatric theatre to observe a laparotomy and bowel resection on a child of 6 days old,whilst Dr Saxena and Janet Maloney went to observe a depressed skull fracture.
 We also went into the anaesthetic department and have arranged with the head of anaesthesia to participate in an educational day to run interactive workshops.
To be continued......

The team gets split tomorrow, with Hersh going to Mbale Hospital for 4 days, with the rest of the team staying in Kampala.

The night before......

Last night before the trip. Had a minor panic over my yellow fever certificate - found it eventually. Surprising how much stuff one can put in one's suitcase for only a week's trip. Just need to find my headphones for the in-flight movies.
Passport - check.
Currency - check.
Underwear - check
Laptop with lectures - check.
Poor Mrs S having to get up early to drop me at the airport!
Look forward to seeing the rest of the team in the morning.

San

One week to go...

This week our trip has gone 'viral'... we have been mentioned on Facebook, Twitter and the Surrey Advertiser!

The severe weather on the east coast of N. America has led to flights being cancelled for several of the Canadian medics who were due to go a week earlier to start outpatients, etc...some won't get to Uganda till Thursday 14th Feb now. No doubt the English weather will try it's best to wreak havoc when we leave next Sunday morning.

Uganda population 34 million, average life expectancy 54 years (80 years for UK)

Bhav

Final pre-trip meeting and the media

We had our last evening meeting last Monday to tie up loose ends and ask/answer last minute questions. Pretty much everyone is now vaccinated. Conversation centred around the merits of different anti-malarials, along with a little too much discussion about potential unpleasant side-effects!
We also had a meeting with a journalist from the Surrey Advertiser yesterday, who was very interested in our trip; the who, what and whys. The answers to the 'whys' from my future travelling companions were very pleasing.
We are all very interested in helping people in the developing world, whose access to the sort of healthcare we take for granted in the UK is very limited.
We all want to try and do our bit, not only for the patients, but also for the doctors/nurses/clinical officers, who also do not have access to the level of training that we UK doctors and nurses have had the privilege of experiencing.
T -15days and counting......


San