That’s different

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

So far, when anyone from home asks me to describe what it’s like here, I tend to say, ‘it’s just so different from anything else I’ve ever experienced before’. I still haven’t come up with a better description. Things aren’t better or worse here, they are just……different. I wish I could walk around with a video camera to give you a real sense of it but you’ll have to be satisfied with a few snapshots instead. These were just some moments where I thought…’you know what, that’s different’.

For example….

P1000958 150x150 Thats different

Construction techniques.... they're different!

IMG 0881 150x150 Thats different

The fluorescent lemonade... that's different!

(more…)

No Comments »

Realistic expectations – “making a difference” on an overseas elective

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Many students who plan to undertake a healthcare elective in a developing country are driven by the idea they can make a real difference to the hospital or clinic they are going to be working in.   They see it as a chance to move from the role of  spectating or doing basic work under supervision, instead using their skills to help those less fortunate. But is that a realistic expectation?

An elective in an developing country can offer lots of opportunities, but as Mitchell Blake in the Medical Student Journal of Australia found out, things can be very different to how you imagined…..

“Prior to my first day, I talked to some international students who had been working (there) for some weeks.  I had expressed my enthusiasm to practice as much medicine as possible and maybe make some management decisions, I was laughed at. I also expressed my interest in developing my procedural skills…“You won’t get to do that much,” replied one of the international students quashing my hopes, “you’ll be lucky to take blood.”  Indeed, venepuncture was the only procedural skill I practiced on my elective.”

(more…)

No Comments »

Something for the physios

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Neil, my fiance, was keen to see what the Physiotherapy department looked like at Mt Meru Hospital so I went off and did a little investigating for him. I came across the lovely Flora, who is head of the ‘department’ and who is possibly the nicest person I have met at the hospital.

P1010079 150x150 Something for the physios

The infrared

The day I went there was an inpatient day where she goes around the wards so there were no patients in the department. Tuesdays and Thursdays are outpatients and I think she sees about 20 a day. They are mostly rehab cases following burns or fractures but there is the odd case of Guillain-Barre or paralysis.

They have fairly basic equipment but Flora was quite proud to show me the TENS machine and an infra-red light that they use for back pain.

(more…)

No Comments »

Climbing Mt Meru

Thursday, February 9th, 2012
IMG 4042 150x150 Climbing Mt Meru

Mt Meru looming!

Well tomorrow I am going to climb a mountain. No, not Kilimanjaro. That would just be so obvious! Instead I am going to try and conquer Mt Meru. It is a lot less touristy than Kili and a bit shorter (I think its peak is 1km lower than Kili) but at 4550m it is still a pretty big hill. Apparently there is lots of wildlife on Mt Meru like buffalo and giraffes so we will be walking with a ranger rather than a guide so that he can keep us out of danger (presumably by shooting anything that comes too close!).

(more…)

No Comments »

From Burns to Casualty

Monday, February 6th, 2012

I changed departments at the hospital this week. I had to say goodbye to the wards and theatre and all the little burns kids who had surprised me so much with their strength, and take myself off to casualty.

P1010170 150x150 From Burns to Casualty

Ester

The picture is of little Ester – the girl I saw previously who hugged me. I still can’t believe she’d come up and hug me after what we’d put her through in theatre. Any child at home would have run the other way at at the sight of me! She is also a good lesson (as are most of the other kids on the wards) about why your mum always used to tell you not to play with matches. Ester was alone while she was playing with them and so no one was around to help her when her clothes caught alight.

So now I am in casualty and seeing pain on a whole other level all together. As I left to come write this, a man was carried in with a broken L femur, R hip, R humerus AND L clavicle. He already looked like a bag of bones (he was painfully thin) but now sadly, it was a bag of broken bones. The road accidents here are brutal.

(more…)

No Comments »

Everyday life in Arusha

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

I thought I’d give you a glimpse today into everyday life here. Pretty much everything is done by hand – there are no fancy machines to do the hard work here! I had my first experience of hand washing on the weekend. While I’ve soaked the odd delicate or two, I’ve never had to hand scrub an entire load before. I certainly worked up a sweat. And for someone who is usually quite particular about the way washing is done, this process was actually quite satisfying! I won’t be throwing out the washing machine any time soon though.

P1010012 150x150 Everyday life in Arusha

Washing by hand.... not so much fun!

Back in hospital I saw lots of wound washouts and cutdowns on the ward. Seeing them without anaesthesia is quite confronting but the big guys seem to be quite proud of themselves if they can get through it without crying out. What broke my heart was a little girl who came up to me on the ward to give me a cuddle. She was so sweet and her little face will stay with me for a long time.

(more…)

No Comments »

Christmas in Tanzania

Friday, January 27th, 2012

This must be one of the first Christmases where I haven’t woken up super early to see what was under the tree.

IMG 3534 1 150x150 Christmas in Tanzania

party hats!

What we have had today though is lots of laughs, fun, food and generally a lot of lazing about in the heat with drinks in hand. All in all it’s been a fantastic day. We made a big breakfast spread this morning, moved the Christmas tree out into the yard and basically set up camp in the cabana for the rest of the day. The girls then moved to the kitchen to make a cake for Emmanuel’s birthday which is also today. After ruining the package cake mix with a rotten egg we had to start from scratch with no recipe and only basic ingredients. It wasn’t the worst cake in the world but that’s about all the praise I can give it. It did look good though. Pimms and lemonade and a BBQ finished of the afternoon and now it’s beers and scrabble as the afternoon cools off and the sun starts to set on Xmas 2011.

I asked everyone what was the best Xmas gift they had ever received. Funnily enough no one could really come up with one. I think what really makes a great Xmas is the people you spend it with and the experiences you share. While I am certainly sad that I am not with family today this had certainly been a unique Christmas and one I am not likely to forget in a hurry.

(more…)

No Comments »

Arriving in Tanzania

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

I have made it to Tanzania safe and sound!

P1000970 150x150 Arriving in Tanzania

Emmanuele and my new home!

I had my first taste of the Arusha town centre yesterday and today was my first day in the hospital.I have so much to say but I’m not sure where to start. I’m still so overwhelmed and struggling to adjust.

By African standards, I will be living in absolute luxury for the next 8 weeks. The house is in a relatively posh area of town with giant houses surrounded by large fences.

The hospital where I will be spending most of my time is a referral hospital for the region but is still quite basic.  The entrance is always quite crowded – it’s a gauntlet of ‘Mambos’, ‘Jambos’ and ‘Taxi?’…. everyone wants to talk to the mzungus! Our Swahili is definitely getting better but I’m sure no-one is fooled. We are still tourists to them.

(more…)

No Comments »

Want to take something with you? Kayleigh has some tips!

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

The most important thing I brought with me on my midwifery placement to Tanzania was equipment donations for the hospital. My friend and I managed to take out alcohol gel, goggles, plastic aprons, gloves, baby clothes and sterile needles and syringes. We also left the staff our scrubs and theatre clogs when we left. Giving the staff our donations on our last day really was the best part of our trip; they were so grateful and got so excited as they delved into the bags! They also insisted on dressing up every baby on the ward in a western baby grow. I have such lovely photos of that moment and the memories of it will stay with me forever, it was such a small thing for us but such a help to them, as they are very underfunded. I really would recommend bringing your own scrubs with you anyways, as the hospital did not have a lot of them. Plus it is safer for you and the patients if you are not transporting germs to and from the hospital- just as it is in England.

Joanna Sillince 2 150x150 Want to take something with you? Kayleigh has some tips!

Newborn babies

(more…)

No Comments »

Elective fundraising tips – how to write a press release for newspaper and radio

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

One great way to raise funds for your placement is to increase awareness of your elective in the community in which you live or study. It can lead to huge public interest and in some cases, sponsorship from locals or businesses. The most interesting one we’ve heard so far is a student who managed to get the local amateur dramatic group to donate two nights worth of takings towards his placement!

The best way to get your story to lots of people quickly is to send it to radio stations and newspapers, that way all the publicity is done for you. The problem is that you are one of hundreds of elective students appealing for sponsorship in a pile of millions of potentially newsworthy stories. Why would they pick yours to publish? Well they won’t if you don’t put in a bit of effort and follow the correct procedures! The good news is that we’re here to guide you through the process of dealing with the media and give you the best possible chance of reaching the eyes and ears of your local community.

Who should I approach?

(more…)

No Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »