Camps and Soccer

The week has gotten away from me without updating the blog. But in my defense I have been busy with lots of activities in the evenings when I am usually updating the blog.

Last week was really fun. The administration here has invited me to go with them to visit the tourist camps just up the road. The Hospital is on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (jungle) National Park which draws many people from all over the world who want to see the mountain gorillas. They come and stay at very nice and fancy “camps” with bars, restaurants and rooms that can cost $500 a night. The guides will then take people on “gorilla treks” which can be significant hikes through the jungle to see the gorillas. Needless to say the treks are expensive and need to be booked 6-8 months in advance. It was fun to visit the camps in the evening and talk with the guests. The hospital often visits the camps to try and promote the hospital and find potential contributors. They like having western/white volunteers from the hospital come because guests at the camp tend to like speaking with another native English speaker and like hearing about the hospital from my perspective. I’m glad to be able and help in this way even though I never thought I would be essentially fundraising while I was here. Many of the guests from the camp will at least come down and get a tour of the hospital which is good. I was struck, or rather, disappointed by the contrast between the luxurious camps and the people just outside the gates living in mud huts and walking around in bare feet. It was a difficult contrast to see. The jobs and income the National Park and tourists brings is certainly welcome (except by the Batwa which I mentioned) but I wish the tourists that come weren’t so insulated in their comfy resorts so that they could see the malnourished child living on the other side of the fence.

 I’m starting to fit in and find my roll among the staff. Most of the time I’m expected to just observe as a student but occasionally I can make a contribution to the care of a patient by suggesting a certain diagnosis should be considered or a test should be run. The doctors and staff here are very capable and do an excellent job running the hospital with the limited (and I mean very limited) resources available. As the staff gets to know me they are asking more and more what I think about a patient. The nurses are eger to let me practice placing IVs and NG tubes although I have yet to get an IV started (ever). Yesterday I got to do my first autopsy with the doctors here. They do their own autopsies (post-mortem) fairly often to help them learn and make better decisions. This used to be a regular part of being a doctor in the US but is now really only done by pathologists which is a good thing because I just about lost my lunch.

Tonight we had another soccer/futbol match with just the hospital staff. I’ve never seen so many people gathered for essentially a pick-up game. I got to play in the second half of the game and had a blast although I nearly slipped and fell a couple of times on the cow pies covering the field. As you can see from the picture there is a not-so-subtle height/size advantage. Even with the advantage I wasn’t much help because everyone else was so much quicker and more skilled then I was.  

 Sheeny (not sure about spelling) was attached to me for the first half of the soccer game. She really liked swinging from my arms.

 Standard crowd at the futbal pitch on a sunday evening.

I'm the 2 meter tall white guy on the left if you couldn't find me.