Fit To Practice!!

Thank goodness I have been signed off and recommended for registration a relief after over 30 years in the job!!!

St.Patrick's day was officially the end of my hospital orientation.
The two weeks previously I had spent time in Surgery with the palliative care team and at the Lighthouse an HIV/AIDs unit.

The Orthopaedic ward was interesting most of the men having trauma wounds from disputes or road traffic accidents and one crocodile bite!! I was amazed at how well wounds were healing given the cramped conditions and the same dressing type for all wounds...(clean and cover.... gauze)

I spent a day with the palliative care team at the hospital the team consists of one full time nurse and another nurse rotating one week in four the doctor is on call from trauma. They mainly give advice on care and pain management

The Lighthouse was really interesting and I was amazed at how many patients they see in a day. The unit is sponsored by USAID and anti-retroviral drugs and family planning advice is given the service is free. The clinic has 15.000 patients registered for Lilongwe which has a population of 80.000.
I heard many sad stories but equally met lots of people living their lives with symptoms being well controlled with ARVs.
I spent a day in the villages with the community palliative care nurse and was humbled by living conditions as well as the welcome I received into patients homes.
I caused a bit of a stir with the children as a Muzingo (White person) in the village and soon had many coming out for a look!...Felt a bit like the Pied Piper.

On the domestic front biggest challenge of the month was a visit from a baby Black Mamba in the early hours of the morning.....'You awake Al?....We have a situation!
The situation was the above now dismembered body of an apparently deadly snake sorted by two psycho nurses with gardening implements!!!!! Body confirmed as Black Mamba our worry for the next few days was where was Mummy??
Thankfully no further visits but I have to say this experience was not on my wish list.
                                                                                                                                                                        I celebrated the end of orientation with a weekend at the lake. Senga Bay is about a two hour drive from Lilongwe and I was taken by some other volunteers to Cool Runnings a great place on the lake popular with volunteers......It is beautiful and difficult to believe it is a lake and not the sea with the waves and all. A great place to wind down and reflect on the experience so far. The children below were my playmates until I was worn out!!!

Children on beach