It certainly was back to Muheza with a bang yesterday.
Getting off the bus, the temperature was noticeably warmer and we will once
again have to get used to sweat trickling down our backs as routine (although
with the arrival of the new medical students, we realise quite how well we have
adapted to this). We also have another water shortage. Evidently no water came
last week or this one. We have just a tiny amount left in the tank. Back to the
stark reality of living here then!
It was back to work today, and I was greeted so very warmly.
I am delighted to say that it really is nice to be back, even though I already
knew we had a big list of patients waiting for theatre. These are mostly hernia
patients suitable for mesh, which is great for the project.
Today I took things another step forward in the mesh hernia
work and have offloaded the initial preparation of the mesh to the head of
CSSD. Up till now, I have been cutting the mesh to size off the bolt myself, and
then placing in an envelope before handing it over ready to be wrapped and
sterilised. This may seem like no big deal, but I have handed over all the
remaining mesh I have for now (a new consignment has been ordered) and with
that gesture, I feel I am very definitely handing on responsibility for more of
the project to the local team. I feel a mixture of pride in how far we have
come as well as the inevitable anxiety that someone like myself will feel with
such a step (most surgeons have an element of OCD). Over the next few weeks, it
is my intention for the team to become increasingly independent with these
operations. After all, I now only have a couple of months left.
Some more great news for the hospital is that the X-ray
machine has been fixed. It does feel a bit like a successful resuscitation on
an elderly care ward though – how well it will perform from now and how much
longer it will last is a huge uncertainty. Of course, nothing will be done to
replace it now until it does finally expire, unless someone can happen to find
a retiring machine in the UK and have it shipped out?!
The hospital superintendent specifically sort me out this
morning to tell me a second piece of good news – the full blood count machine
that has been away in Dar es Salaam for fixing is now ready and should be back
in the next few weeks. Clearly this is great news, but I confess I did not know
we ever had one. I have had to be content with just a simple Hb level since
arriving. But just like on the Mountain, every step forward is another step to
where we want to get to. Certainty one thing that I find hugely inspiring about
being here is the whole team’s constant drive to improve – sometimes they just
need a little nudge, a different perspective or a some kind of ‘validation’
that it is right that they should expect more.
So in the words of the Coldplay song that has
been spinning round my head for the last few days; ‘Up and up and up’! (Have a
listen…..!).
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