Friday 2nd
June
The solar panels are still causing some anguish as they are still in
Lusaka – there was to be another twist later on Thursday which I
will recount later.
We arrived at 10 hrs for our appointment with Sr. Juunza. The
receptionist greeted us and informed us that Sr. Juunza was not
around, but would be back on Monday! Some years back I had an
appointment with someone from the hospital which I had arranged the
afternnon before. After about an hour I asked, and was told he was
not yet in. After some further time passed I enquired again and
established that he wouldn't be in that day, because he was on a
course. I checked on the course duration and was informed that the
course was three years long – I met the guy three years later, by
which time he had decided to leave the hospital!
In this instance the issue was easily resolved and Sr. Joyce agreed
to step in and show us around the hospital. It was good to have a
proper tour with Ben. It is a while since I visited all the wards. I
sometimes visit patients, but rarely touch some departments.
The hospital has a number of new buildings – funded by different
organisations. The Japanese government funded a new Radiography
department with ultrsound scanners and x-ray machines. The Surgery
has been rebuilt.
Hands Around the World has been involved in a number of projects over
the years providing funding and volunteers. In 2003 we started
building the ICU - it was opened in 2006 or 2007. We extended the
Male and Children's Wards. When I came in 2003, men were on
mattresses under the beds and children slept two or three to a cot.
By extending the wards - moving the walls to the edge of the
verandas, a considerable increase in ward space was produced. On this
visit the number of patients seemed to be quite low in all wards. By
my reckoning this is success!! I have also claimed that the most
succesful hospital is one without any patients – because the people
are all well!! Throwing patients out of hospital as fast as possible
only to readmit them doesn't seem the best healthcare! So often we
measure the number of patients seen, assuming that is better than
measuring those not seen!
Malaria here is now rare! This no doubt has a big impact on the
number of patient admissions and the staff workload. When there is a
case of malaria they check where the patient is from and if they are
in the catchment area they treat the whole family. A big exercise has
taken place – particularly in the Southern Province of Zambia - to
educate people, hand out mosquito nets and spray the houses. This
appears to have worked very well and reduced the incidence of the
disease dramatically. In my book this is good healthcare!
We caught up on all major departments and finished by being shown
around the IV (intravenous fluid) production unit. Monze Hospital has
been producing it's own fluids since 1984! The machines are new and
high tech, but the process is still essentially the same. We were
given plastic hats as we entered the unit. Warren, who first showed
me around in 2003, described the process and showed us the production
and storage facilities. Ben asked how long the fluids would last and
was told they had to be used within a year. Warren added that they
are usually used within a day! Having their own production is very
valuable because whenever fluids are needed they can be provided.
This isn't the case at many Zambian hospitals.
During our visit their were many familiar faces – though again
quite a few were new. One I didn't immediately recognise told me, as
I guessed, that she was Mrs.Bentoe. I am always embarrassed that I
fail to recognise some people year after year – and she is one of
them. I have a disability when it comes to recognising faces – here
in Africa where men have shaved or very short hair and women change
their hair or wigs regularly, I find it even more challenging. Mrs
Bentoe, as she described herself, was my good friend Bentoe's wife.
We worked very closely at the hospital on the computers and our
knowledge and skills complemented each other very well. He was a
stalwart of the Catholic Church and our outlook on life was very
simlar. Tragically, while my wife was in Zambia in 2006, Bentoe was
killed in a car crash. He is a terrible loss to everyone who knew him
and we all miss him a lot.
We returned home to get the message from Fr. Timothy that the agent
had told him that the bill for collecting the solar lighting was
9,500 ZMW – about £860. My understanding was that solar lighting
for schools was exempt from duty . We understood a small charge was
due to the agent for clearing but nothing of this order of magnitude.
It seems that an error might have occurred in the paperwork and it is
being investigated!! I have no personal experience of importing
goods, but those we are working with have been involved many times
before. However, getting all the bits and pieces correctly completed
and sorting out all the bureacracy seems difficult. Just as well we
won't face any such problems after we leave the EU!!!
By the time I had made a few calls I had little time to get to the
school to work on computers. I called by anyway and arranged to
return on Monday.
Diven was after a discussion with me. We talked for a while and made
additional arrangements to try to resolve an issue or two which had
arisen.
I have looked around for Deana but she is not to be seen! Diven has
met her this visit and I met her friend Precious who is now at the
hospital nursing.
On the way back from seeing Diven I met up with Jennipher and
confirmed our visit for Saturday. I also met a girl who said she was
Nancy's sister – it seemed Nancy had mentioned our encounter the
other day. She told me her name was Christine or Mercy – she
prefers to be called Christine!
I met Mr Lungu who has retired as a driver at the hospital and is
waiting for his gratuity – like most government workers they have
to wait years – and many die before it is paid!
So today is Friday!! I was going to walk to Obert's house where his
mother has a playgroup and a club for vulnerable people. However, I
remembered that I had a few items to take with me – Ben was
therefore spared a walk and we hired Obert and his taxi.
After greeting the children and hearing them sing us a welcome song
we went outside where I had a strange looking bag with me. I unzipped
the bag and slowly creatures starte to form as the vacuum went. A
large hippo appeared followed by bears and tigers, snakes, dogs and
chickens. Before I left home one of my grandchildren cleared out all
her cuddly toys and gave them to me to bring here for the children.
All twenty children were able to have a toy with a few still left
over – the differences between the worlds is very evident! I was
amazed that, as soon as asked, the children returned the toys to the
bag. It was lovely to see the joy as they saw the furry animals
emerge. I am sure they will have a lot more fun with them in time to
come. I also had jumpers- though some were small for the children and
there were not enough to go around. (Jennipher was given the bulk of
my case full.)
I spoke to the teacher who would really like some desks for the
children a small table for himself and some crayons! The children
currently sit on planks of wood balanced on small concrete blocks. To
write they kneel on the floor and dirty their clothes which their
parents can't afford to keep washing.
We visited the chickens. There are currently a hundred at two weeks
old which will be sold to pay the teacher's wages and another hundred
at four weeks old which will be used to fund the club. At six weeks
they will be sold!
We took our leave and walked back past Our Lady of the Wayside Church
and returned home.
I checked in on the internet and chatted to a young woman who was
having lunch. I played one of Boniface's videos to Ben – I loaded
it onto Youtube a couple of years ago.
Diven has resolved his issue – at least for now – so I arranged
to visit Boniface at his recording studio in town. Ben decided to
join me.
As we passed St.Vincent's School Nancy ran out to greet me – you
will now see some photos of Nancy – I won't need to identify her!!
I had a chance to introduce Ben to yet another little corner of
Monze. Another market – or extension of the market with plenty of
music playing.
Boniface has his studio inside a hairdressing salon. The complete
unit cannot be more than five foot by eight foot and comprises both a
recording studio and a room for mixing the recordings and videos!
Despite this some of the music and videos are impressive. I agreed to
see where the equipment was being built. A guy builds the frames for
the speakers and puts together the pa systems. These are big units
and the costs reflect it! Whether I can help at all we shall see. At
the moment Boniface spends most of the fee he receives hiring and
transporting the equipment.
I picked up almost a kilo of prime steak this afternoon - the cattle
is usually slaughtered on a Thursday – so the meat is fresh! It
costs 38 ZMW per kilo (less than £3.50).
Ben cooked some fish this evening which we have frozen at our house.
He has also been doing far more than his share of washing up – for
which I am very grateful. I'll miss him when he returns to the UK.
Best wishes,
Chris
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