This week has been quiet in the hospital- we have had a lull in the number of patients- apparently this is the calm before the storm, as malaria season is about to start!
Despite having less patients we have still been challenged by many cases. I was particularly surprised after seeing a case of domestic violence, to discuss the issue with the nurses on the ward. They were very shocked to hear that this is not routine in the UK and that women can seek legal protection. They explained that many here see domestic violence as a way of showing love. A real eye opener.
We have also continued to be surprised by the number of poisonings here with organophosphates. We are taught about these in the UK, but rarely see cases, whereas here there are at least a couple a week. We are grateful for our welfare and legal state in the UK that seems to prevent these from happening.
This week we also met another visitor from the UK, an electrical engineer who tours various hospitals twice a year on holiday from the UK. He had a wealth of knowledge about Uganda and culture and it was a great encouragement to chat about how life here compares to the UK and reminisce about Imperial (he studied there many years ago!). It was a special privilege to share cake for his birthday, be made a cup of coffee, be introduced to a range of local fruit and vegetables from the market and have a conversation in ‘UK English’- without needing to concentrate to work through the accent!
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