Hello & welcome to our latest blog.
Having been here in Chad for over 18 months and now looking
forward to our first official home assignment in April we have been reflecting on our time spent here. The
time has gone so quickly, so much has happened and we seem to have been in
constant work mode with rarely time to stop and think. We have had to try and
learn a new language here in county, with limited success, whilst also having
to work at the hospital at the same time. A time for a break can't come quickly
enough.
When we arrived we knew there was a general role mapped out for
each of us to undertake but the finer details of what that was and how to start
was unclear. We remember the first time we walked around the hospital thinking
how basic, dirty, smelly and chaotic it all seemed, but also amazed that there
was actually a functioning hospital here in the middle of nowhere. There was obviously much that needed to be
done to improve things but due to the lack of resources and limited time in the
day, as dealing with the many patients was the priority, forward planning and
organisation was difficult. Malcolm started work almost immediately as the existing administrator was due to leave within a few weeks and the finances needed urgent attention.
Organising Containers |
French Lesson |
For myself it was prioritising the language study, trying to
keep Malcolm focused on it! and observing the hospital in general to help where
possible. Initially my role was limited, due to my lack of language, therefore
spent many hours and weeks in extremely hot containers, used for the hospital
stores, sorting and putting them into a more organised state. Not what I had imagined my nursing skills to
be used for but never the less a much needed task to aid the overall function
of the hospital.
In June 2013 I started
to work full time on the wards alongside the Chadian nurses to observe and
identify training needs and assist in assessing their skill levels. There is quite a
difference in the role of a nurse in the UK and here, some of the technical
skills are quite high but basic nursing and cleanliness appears not to be a
priority, nor is the general administration tasks. By constantly tidying and
cleaning of work surfaces and patient areas and completing appropriate documentation
I hoped to instil some of this need into those with whom I work. It is paying
off and has generally improved.
When the hospital was built, European toilets had been
installed on all the wards. Unfortunately these were not suitable for Nomadic tribe
and local people who simply don't know how to use them appropriately. So they
were a constant source of smells and needed to be replaced. We managed to
obtain funding to enable us to close the worst ones and build more appropriate
pit latrines outside for the patients to use. The space this generated on the
wards enabled us to transform these 2 rooms into a private examination room on
the maternity ward and a small in patient malnutrition room in another. In time
we hope to close the remaining 2 but for now the overall smell and cleanliness
has been improved dramatically.
Privacy Curtains |
An area which needed change was the lack of privacy on
the wards for the patients. All 4 wards were open wards where everybody can
view each other's treatment and problems. For a very private people this was
obviously an issue. By installing a metal rail structure hanging from each wards
ceiling has enabled us to hang simple curtains to provide much needed privacy
for each patient. Sounds a simple task,
but finding a suitable welder, obtaining material and then a tailor to make the
curtains and finally finding a suitable method with which to hang them was all
problematic and timely, but well worth the effort.
Triage |
Through the Gate |
Entry |
Once in an orderly que |
God clearly has a plan for each one of us but we don't
always see or necessarily agree with it, but learning to trust in Him is an
important lesson I have learnt.
Blessings Malc & Sue