Hello again.

Sorry it has been such a long time!

Things here in Uganda are good.

John Morrice, a paediatrician friend whom I met in Liverpool last year joined us here for a few weeks. His assistance working with the juniors on Paeds ward and in the neonatal unit was most helpful. It was also good to have someone to chat clinical and management issues over with and beat at extreme Ludo!

I also managed my first 2 days holiday and we went up to Murchison park with Ali and Jane, two other doctors we got to know in Liverpool. Murchison was great the Nile flows through the middle of the park, and in one place shrinks to fit through a 7 metre wide gap in the rocks as it falls from the edge of the escarpment forming an awesome cataract indeed. We also managed to see many animals including 2 lions and a leopard. I enjoyed an invigorating swim in the Nile in a pool above the falls which the guide book described as safe for swimming.

Dr Raul created quite a stir today when he emerged from theatre wielding a panga (2 foot long knife) and sliced through the cable on an extension lead before returning to theatre. The power being drained from the generator in theatre meant that his operating light was weak and as the owner had not removed it when requested he took matters into his own hands! The patients were certainly surprised that the muzungu doctor had gone quite so mad!

Some of our long stay patients have been getting better and fit for discharge. But there are always fresh ones to take their place one young boy with lymphoma – a tumour of his blood cells was admitted last night he had been at Mullago the national hospital in Kampala 2 months ago, and discharged without any treatment or follow up! Unfortunately, while there are some hard working staff there, often patients who do not pay the appropriate bribes do not even get seen by doctors. If we can stabilise his condition over the next few days we hope to refer him to Hope Ward, the charity ward in Ian Clarkes large private hospital in Kampala where an Oncologist provides free treatment to such children.

The hospital has been a bit quieter these last few weeks because it has been dry for a few months now. The rains have now started again which is good for the crops but bad for the health as mosquito numbers and so malaria are on the increase again.

Please continue to pray for more doctors our present three juniors are due to leave at the end of October and we need some of those talking of joining us then to do so if we want to continue to care for patients the way we should.

Until next time.

Rory