Nearing the end

Friday January 27^th

One of the particular difficulties about working here is having to rely on translators. I am not alone in this with several of the doctors who are from central Uganda and who are Luganda speakers being in the same boat. However it can lead to some interesting discussions and also some uncertainty on my part at to whether my questions or the patient’s answers have been appropriately understood!

Also the range of symptoms people express are limited. A pretty standard description is that they have “Fever and general body weakness” It can be pretty difficult at times to precisesly nail down what really is the problem. Also people very often done carry their records with them or their previous x-rays which they should have at home have been lost so it can all become pretty challenging!

The end of our time here is fast approaching as we intend to have a short trip to Murchison Falls leaving on Thursday and then travelling onto Gulu on Saturday to look a t a health project there before heading back to Entebbe on Sunday. It should prove to be an interesting trip covering several places we haven’t ventured to before. Ahead of our departure I have been trying to type up a short report to leave with the director here with some reflections on our time here. There have been changes that I do feel we have contributed directly to namely the in-patient protocol for typhoid management, the acquisition of the blood counting machine which has allowed much better assessment of patients and the continuation of the medical education programme here but I hope by sharing the reflections to encourage some further developments over the months ahead particularly I the teaching of the medical students.

Ann concludes the holiday club this evening and is having a meal with those who have been running it so I look forward to hearing all about it later this evening.

 A favourite game at the holiday club has been hurling a flip flop at an empty water bottle. Very        popular!