Hello again from Kisiizi
Sorry its been a while since I last blogged, a combination of being busy here, enjoying myself and lots of power cuts during this week. Kisiizi doesn't have many power cuts as it has hydro electric power from the waterfall. It seems that a lot of Uganda suffers from power cuts regularly during the day. But here we have them only occasionally apart from this week when their have been a few problems. A few years ago they had a power cut here for 3 months, imagine that. I don't complain when it is for 3 hours!!!
I have had a great 2 weeks working on the wards. I spent a day on maternity where I saw lots of babies (funny that!). At the end of the day the sister asked me if I'd like to deliver the next baby, she was serious!! I came up with some excuse about that not being very safe for the mother or baby!!! The women here deliver their babies with NO pain relief and no screaming or shouting, they just get on with it often with no one there apart from the midwife.
I have also been out on community visits. Not like the community visits I do at home. We drove to a village, down a mud road, where they have some community buildings that are opened up. Before long the place is buzzing, with people selling and buying fruit and veg, getting their babies immunised and weighed, adults having HIV tests and counselling and also anti-natal appointments. It was great fun and interesting to see. I loved being involved in that. They also do community teaching about HIV or malaria prevention.
At the weekend I away to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We (me and a dutch medical student called Maarten) went early on Saturday morning with a hospital driver caller Augustine. It was a 4 hour drive on mainly bumpy, pot holed mud roads. It will be strange to get home to England with the roads being very smooth and relatively pothole free!! Again I was treated to some lovely scenery on the way as we travelled over hills and through valleys. We stopped on route at some hot springs. It was full of Ugandans bathing and relaxing. We didn't join them in the hot springs, didn't fancy showing all to a group of strangers!!! Just before we arrived at the park we stopped at a look out over the national park and could see the park stretch out before us as far as the eye could see. It is a large park that lies in a western rift valley, near to DRC Congo.
On the road leading to the park we saw an elephant and some monkeys. The monkeys hang around for passing cars and beg for food, they seemed to quite like kit kats!! When we arrived we booked onto a boat trip on the kasinga channel. This is a really long stretch of water that joins lake George and Edward together. On the boat trip we saw lots of hippos, it was like moving through hippo soup, they were everywhere. Mostly submerged but then there would be some bubbles and up came a hippo for a breath of fresh air. They are very large and cause the most human casualties at the park. We were quite safe in our boat! Along the edge of the water we saw elephants playing, buffalos drinking, crocodiles, antelopes and loads of birds.
There were some very strange noises outside my window in the evening, it sounded like a large person in wellies squelching through the mud. I was a little worried for a few seconds as I thought someone was trying to get in my window!! But I soon realised that it was a warthog eating grass!! They are very noisy eaters. The next day was an early start to catch the animals before they hid or took shade from the hot sun. So we were up at 6am and on the road or game drive by 6.30. We saw a beautiful elephant, they are so large and Augustine jumped and reversed the car very quickly when we bumped into him (not literally!). They are very careful around elephants as they will charge the car and squash it if they are provoked or protecting their young. We also saw many herds of buffalos, Ugandan kobs, water bucks (both antelopes), a stray hippo and lions lying in the grass about 10 metres away from our car (they were drooling a bit, thinking we looked like a tasty snack!!!). On our way back to the hostel we had to stop to let a herd of elephants cross the road, so amazing to see. It was so great to see these animals in their home as their guest!! A great weekend.
I am now getting into the swing of things here and have arranged some teaching sessions on pain control in palliative care. I have taught the student nurses and will also do a session for the doctors and the staff nurses also. This week I have spent some time in the operating theatre where I saw someones hand sown back on after he had half chopped it off cutting wood!! I also had a day in rehab where I saw them correct club foot. They manipulate the foot back into the right position, without giving the child any anesthesia. It is very painful for the child/baby and they scream the house down. Needless to say doing talks on pain control here seems a bit futile when they seem to put up with so much pain and suffering.
Thats all for now, I could carry on writting more but will leave it at that for now and put some more on soon. I have only about 10 days left here now and will be sad to leave as it is beginning to feel more and more like home.
Thanks for reading, love Penny
Monday, September 17, 2007
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Agaandi from wet, rainy and cold Kisiizi!!!!
I hear that the weather in the UK is really nice. That’s great as England really could do with some nice weather. But here in Kisiizi it is pouring with rain (cats and dogs with a big thunder & lightening storms) and it is also quite cold. I seem to have come in the rainy season, which is usually in October (its early!). It is good because they need the rain but it does mean that the roads get very flooded and muddy and you can't go out as much. I am lucky because I have a house and can take shelter but for the Ugandans who live in huts it must be very difficult to cope with. I haven’t come prepared (apart from an umbrella) for this kind of weather (as it was not meant to rain till October!) so I am getting very wet!
My first weekend here was lovely. It consisted of being well feed by the muzungu’s (white people) who live here, going to chapel and relaxing!! I know that I have already said this but the Ugandan singing is so lovely, it sounds like a thousand piece choir, they really know how to harmonise and make a beautiful noise. I also took a walk with Hazel to see a lovely old Ugandan lady (called Marcella) and stayed for sodas (coke) and were sent off with a gift of some beautiful tie dyed material. Marcella really doesn’t have a lot and so it is very humbling when she insisted on giving us a gift. When you leave someones house they 'give you a push', which means they walk with you some of the way home.
Since I last wrote I have done my first weeks work in over 7 months and it has been a bit of a shock to the system!! I have worked on the surgical, medical and isolation wards. It has been really interesting being on the wards and so, so different to nursing in England. For a start they just don't have the medical supplies that we have and they make do with so little resources (I will try not to complain about the NHS again!!). Some of the wards are quite dirty and the level of ward cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired.
Most of the patients have an attendant. This is usually a family member who will help the patient with bathing, provide & prepare their food and generally do a lot of the jobs that nurses in the UK normally do. This leaves the nurses with jobs like giving drugs, doing dressing and other such tasks. The standard of nursing care is lower than in the UK. That is hard to see when you know it could be so much better. I have found that I do a lot of standing around, trying to find things to do. The language barrier makes it more difficult as I can't just go up to a patient to see how they are, I need to take a nurse with me. It can be very frustrating!
On a more positive note I have felt that I have used my knowledge a little with some informal ward teaching on palliative care with the nurses and doctors. It has been good to spend some time on the wards and it is a lovely opportunity to get to know the nurses. I would love to be able to influence patient care and palliative care here but I think I would have to be here for years to do that!!!
In the evenings I tend to visit the other Brits here and it is nice to spend time with them and here about their life here in Kiziisi. I hope over the next 3 weeks I will be able to visit the Ugandans too. I also went shopping (to buy some much needed food) in Kabale. It is south of Kiziisi and very close to the Rwandan border. The scenery on the journey was amazing, very hilly, and all the hills were terraces for farming. Everywhere there are banana plantations and farming-the land is so fertile here. On the way back we stopped off at a fruit and veg market which was quite an experience. You have to stay in the car and the sellers come up to the car with wicker trays full of veg. They swamp the car and are shouting at you to buy stuff!! If you are not careful they chuck veg into the car so that you have to buy them!!! It was quite a bewildering experience, but we came away with what we needed and no extra cabbages etc!!
Driving here is also interesting!! I think that Ugandans are the worst drivers in the world. They love to drive very fast which is odd because in everything else they are quite relaxed and laid back!! I have not braved the local bus or matato (minibus type taxi) yet. I may just stick to safer, slower taxis!!
Next week I will spend some time on maternity, out patients and in community outreach. I am also doing some teaching on palliative care to the student nurses. Next weekend I am hoping to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park with one of the medical students and go on safari.
That's all for now and weballi (thanks in Ruchiga) for reading
Love Penny
I hear that the weather in the UK is really nice. That’s great as England really could do with some nice weather. But here in Kisiizi it is pouring with rain (cats and dogs with a big thunder & lightening storms) and it is also quite cold. I seem to have come in the rainy season, which is usually in October (its early!). It is good because they need the rain but it does mean that the roads get very flooded and muddy and you can't go out as much. I am lucky because I have a house and can take shelter but for the Ugandans who live in huts it must be very difficult to cope with. I haven’t come prepared (apart from an umbrella) for this kind of weather (as it was not meant to rain till October!) so I am getting very wet!
My first weekend here was lovely. It consisted of being well feed by the muzungu’s (white people) who live here, going to chapel and relaxing!! I know that I have already said this but the Ugandan singing is so lovely, it sounds like a thousand piece choir, they really know how to harmonise and make a beautiful noise. I also took a walk with Hazel to see a lovely old Ugandan lady (called Marcella) and stayed for sodas (coke) and were sent off with a gift of some beautiful tie dyed material. Marcella really doesn’t have a lot and so it is very humbling when she insisted on giving us a gift. When you leave someones house they 'give you a push', which means they walk with you some of the way home.
Since I last wrote I have done my first weeks work in over 7 months and it has been a bit of a shock to the system!! I have worked on the surgical, medical and isolation wards. It has been really interesting being on the wards and so, so different to nursing in England. For a start they just don't have the medical supplies that we have and they make do with so little resources (I will try not to complain about the NHS again!!). Some of the wards are quite dirty and the level of ward cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired.
Most of the patients have an attendant. This is usually a family member who will help the patient with bathing, provide & prepare their food and generally do a lot of the jobs that nurses in the UK normally do. This leaves the nurses with jobs like giving drugs, doing dressing and other such tasks. The standard of nursing care is lower than in the UK. That is hard to see when you know it could be so much better. I have found that I do a lot of standing around, trying to find things to do. The language barrier makes it more difficult as I can't just go up to a patient to see how they are, I need to take a nurse with me. It can be very frustrating!
On a more positive note I have felt that I have used my knowledge a little with some informal ward teaching on palliative care with the nurses and doctors. It has been good to spend some time on the wards and it is a lovely opportunity to get to know the nurses. I would love to be able to influence patient care and palliative care here but I think I would have to be here for years to do that!!!
In the evenings I tend to visit the other Brits here and it is nice to spend time with them and here about their life here in Kiziisi. I hope over the next 3 weeks I will be able to visit the Ugandans too. I also went shopping (to buy some much needed food) in Kabale. It is south of Kiziisi and very close to the Rwandan border. The scenery on the journey was amazing, very hilly, and all the hills were terraces for farming. Everywhere there are banana plantations and farming-the land is so fertile here. On the way back we stopped off at a fruit and veg market which was quite an experience. You have to stay in the car and the sellers come up to the car with wicker trays full of veg. They swamp the car and are shouting at you to buy stuff!! If you are not careful they chuck veg into the car so that you have to buy them!!! It was quite a bewildering experience, but we came away with what we needed and no extra cabbages etc!!
Driving here is also interesting!! I think that Ugandans are the worst drivers in the world. They love to drive very fast which is odd because in everything else they are quite relaxed and laid back!! I have not braved the local bus or matato (minibus type taxi) yet. I may just stick to safer, slower taxis!!
Next week I will spend some time on maternity, out patients and in community outreach. I am also doing some teaching on palliative care to the student nurses. Next weekend I am hoping to go to Queen Elizabeth National Park with one of the medical students and go on safari.
That's all for now and weballi (thanks in Ruchiga) for reading
Love Penny
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Agaandi (Hello) from Kisiizi
I have been in Kisiizi for 2 days now and am settling in.
I left home on Tuesday evening. The flight over from the UK was fine, I went via Dubai and then Addis Ababa, and so it was a long flight, taking 16 hours door to door. I met a lovely GP from Scotland, called Mary, who was going to work at another hospital. She was very helpful and gave me a lot of hints and tips, helping me to get my visa at Entebbe airport. I was met at the airport by the guesthouse I was staying at and felt well looked after. Travelling to deepest darkest Africa (although it is not deep or dark at all!) alone was a very daunting prospect, I was very apprehensive about coming but it has been fine. Ugandan people are very friendly, helpful and warm.
The next day, by this time it was Thursday, I travelled to the hospital. I was collected from the guesthouse in Kampala by Yassin who drove me down to Kisiizi (a 6 hour journey). We crossed the equator quite soon into our journey and I was back in the southern hemisphere again!! Uganda is a beautiful country and called the ‘Pearl of Africa’. It is very green, hilly in places (particularly in the west) and a nice climate.
Kisiizi is such a pretty place. Set in the hills, about 600m above sea level. It is about 30km from the Congo boarder. All around it is green and lush, there are lots of banana plants and trees. There is a big waterfall here also, which is used to power the hospital and surrounding hospital houses. The climate is pleasant, sunny and very cool at night. Today it is raining and dreary, like England can be!!
As soon as I arrived at Kisiizi I was given a warm welcome, consisting of a cup of tea and a slice of cake from Jane and Adrian ( missionary couple who have worked here for 7 years). I was then met by Hazel who gave me a guided tour of the hospital. She is from the UK and is 80 years young. She is a nurse tutor here and has been for 9 years. Since retirering has lived and served as a missionary in the Congo, Zambia, Papua New Guinea & more. She is an amazing lady.
I am staying in a 2 bed roomed house, sharing it with Heidi, a cat. It is well equipped with everything I would have at home, including a hot shower. I have a house girl called Peace, she does my washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning. She is lovely, a fantastic cook and very helpful, showing me the ropes!! It s very odd having someone do these things for you and makes me feel quite uncomfortable.
These past two days have consisted of settling in and meeting lots of people. Greetings are very important here and you say hello to everyone and ask how they are, it takes along time!! Often when I say Hello to someone, they giggle!! Ummm, that’s quite normal!! I have also been to chapel. We have to go every morning at 8am, it is part of the life of the hospital. The African singing and clapping is so vibrant, not to be missed and will help me to wake up in the morning!
I will say more about the actual hospital once I start work on Monday. I am going to spend time working on all the wards, including maternity and the neonatal unit (which is a corridor with 2 incubators in it) & going out with the community teams. As well as doing some teaching with the student nurses each week.
Thank you for reading, sorry this is so long, there is so much to say and I could go on for ages!! It is so good to be here and such a great way to end what has been an amazing time travelling this year.
I will write again soon with another truckload of info!!!!
Love Penny xx
I have been in Kisiizi for 2 days now and am settling in.
I left home on Tuesday evening. The flight over from the UK was fine, I went via Dubai and then Addis Ababa, and so it was a long flight, taking 16 hours door to door. I met a lovely GP from Scotland, called Mary, who was going to work at another hospital. She was very helpful and gave me a lot of hints and tips, helping me to get my visa at Entebbe airport. I was met at the airport by the guesthouse I was staying at and felt well looked after. Travelling to deepest darkest Africa (although it is not deep or dark at all!) alone was a very daunting prospect, I was very apprehensive about coming but it has been fine. Ugandan people are very friendly, helpful and warm.
The next day, by this time it was Thursday, I travelled to the hospital. I was collected from the guesthouse in Kampala by Yassin who drove me down to Kisiizi (a 6 hour journey). We crossed the equator quite soon into our journey and I was back in the southern hemisphere again!! Uganda is a beautiful country and called the ‘Pearl of Africa’. It is very green, hilly in places (particularly in the west) and a nice climate.
Kisiizi is such a pretty place. Set in the hills, about 600m above sea level. It is about 30km from the Congo boarder. All around it is green and lush, there are lots of banana plants and trees. There is a big waterfall here also, which is used to power the hospital and surrounding hospital houses. The climate is pleasant, sunny and very cool at night. Today it is raining and dreary, like England can be!!
As soon as I arrived at Kisiizi I was given a warm welcome, consisting of a cup of tea and a slice of cake from Jane and Adrian ( missionary couple who have worked here for 7 years). I was then met by Hazel who gave me a guided tour of the hospital. She is from the UK and is 80 years young. She is a nurse tutor here and has been for 9 years. Since retirering has lived and served as a missionary in the Congo, Zambia, Papua New Guinea & more. She is an amazing lady.
I am staying in a 2 bed roomed house, sharing it with Heidi, a cat. It is well equipped with everything I would have at home, including a hot shower. I have a house girl called Peace, she does my washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning. She is lovely, a fantastic cook and very helpful, showing me the ropes!! It s very odd having someone do these things for you and makes me feel quite uncomfortable.
These past two days have consisted of settling in and meeting lots of people. Greetings are very important here and you say hello to everyone and ask how they are, it takes along time!! Often when I say Hello to someone, they giggle!! Ummm, that’s quite normal!! I have also been to chapel. We have to go every morning at 8am, it is part of the life of the hospital. The African singing and clapping is so vibrant, not to be missed and will help me to wake up in the morning!
I will say more about the actual hospital once I start work on Monday. I am going to spend time working on all the wards, including maternity and the neonatal unit (which is a corridor with 2 incubators in it) & going out with the community teams. As well as doing some teaching with the student nurses each week.
Thank you for reading, sorry this is so long, there is so much to say and I could go on for ages!! It is so good to be here and such a great way to end what has been an amazing time travelling this year.
I will write again soon with another truckload of info!!!!
Love Penny xx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)