A week in St Francis

We are now finishing our fourth week at the hospital… time certainly flies here! Everyday is so busy with ward rounds and outpatient clinics to attend. It has been great to feel fully part of the team here, seeing patients and making plans. We have seen things we probably would never see in the UK, and also things that are so advanced. It is shocking to see how long people leave problems before being seen, as for many the hospital is so far away, and costs a lot of money to get to. But still there is very little complaining, and everyone is so grateful for anything you can do, no matter how big or how small.

The outpatient department has certainly been an experience in itself! As mentioned before, anything can come through the door, from a hypertension reviews to very acute situations like overdoses and collapses, not to mention snake bites! It is always an interesting day, never knowing what will come through the door!

But it has not been without its difficulties. We have seen so many really sick babies, children and adults, and none of us have been without days when we just come home in need of a hug and some chocolate! One of the biggest difficulties and frustrations is that often the medication you would want to use is not in stock, or the procedure you would want to do is not available. It’s hard to accept that sometimes there is nothing you can do when back at home there would be so much.

Last week we got the opportunity to go to out-reach clinics in nearby small villages where we were helping in HIV clinics. This was an amazing experience, although a little daunting at first when left in a room with no translator and told to start seeing patients. We soon got the hang of it though, and it was great to feel like we were really helping.  Afterwards the local people made us a dinner of nchema (the local dish made of maize- a favorite and daily meal for Zambians), which we accepted and politely munched on.... although not something I would particularly want to eat again.

This week has been another busy week… so looking forward to a weekend by the pool in Chipata, the bigger town near by J.