Clinic one autograph away from Govt approval

looking down the hall from waiting room. OPD.

We are so close to achieving the goal of receiving Government registration and approval to operate health services on site at CKS. This is particularly important for the outpatient facilities and will potentially open up some Government assistance for the health work here. Today, the District health inspector turned up 24 hours early but despite our situation we decided to go ahead let him undertake his survey and inspection. It was nerve wracking and at times I could feel myself getting aggravated but in the end he gave us a 90 -100% rating , stamped the forms and took the document back to his office to be countersigned by his boss. Please pray that there will be no obstruction at that higher level and that tomorrow we can pick up the completed forms ready for taking to the Medical Council office in Kampala next week.  This is  a major breakthrough as government regulations and red tape can be crippling.    We are in the process of interviewing for a clinical officer and lab technician, working out job descriptions and work conditions so pray for smooth travelling on this front. Time is running out but hopefully the clinic will  be operational by next week and I might get one or two days of actually consulting ! 

One of our medical consulting rooms

All alone !!

Sorry, no pictures today as we have been relying on Rowena snapping most of them and today her and Andrew deserted me !  It was sad to say goodbye to my team mates. We have had an amazing journey together and been very close and experienced a real unity of purpose. Its been great to share and debrief together at regular intervals and i have really enjoyed our morning devotions.  The release of endorphins during episodes of hilarious laughter has also been therapeutic.  So, after an early breakfast I watched as our driver took A, R and Terri up to the bus park. Hopefully by now they are enjoying luxury living at the Golf Course Hotel in Kampala after a bone crushing trip over the world s worst highway !
I do confess to some significant feelings of sadness at the beginning of today.
However, God is good and I know I  am here for a purpose and, on looking back, it has been a very good day.
I spent some time in a meeting with the senior medical team here discussing the applications we have received for a clinical officer and also making preparations for an accreditation visit from the local health department which will occur either on friday or Monday.
We have a candidate who sounds very promising for Clinical Officer and he will be interviewed on Saturday.
At lunch time i was able to skype Anne and my friend John Warlow and also Graham hambly, my IT consultant who is helping me get the necessary bits together to set up a small computer network in the new clinic . I am really praying that my friend Graham Carter who is coming to Uganda in the next few days can bring some computer parts and an installation CD to help get things going here.
This afternoon i travelled up town with Vincent and  Ronald (the electrician) to get all the electrical equipment to fit out the OPD. We also went to the Bregma Clinic with some sputum sample from one of our patients and had our suspicions confirmed when we looked under the microscope in the lab at her sample and saw TB organisms.  This young girl of 14 will need to be transferred to the hospital tomorrow for 2 weeks inpatient care.
Tonight after a refreshing shower to remove dirt and grime I have been up to the Boma Hotel for a chicken meal with some other OZ visitors, Benson, Vincent, Walter and Irene.
I had a really good time of sharing with Irene before going out as we sat out in the shade together  for about an hour talking about our dreams and visions for the health services here.
I am trusting that the remaining days will see completion of the infrastructure project here and the establishment and strengthening of a great team of caring medical professionals who will do so much to respond to the huge  needs here. 

Teary Day

Another day over in Kitgum. A day of fun and tears as AR & RR said farewell to their new friends here at CKS. AR tidied up the last of the projects that he started but AW had other ideas ...can you please just organise this last thing for me it isn't a very big job he said. We need a fence around the medical waste pit near the Aids Hospice so no one can fall in and we can pass the inspection on Friday at 10 am. I was told at 9am but God has worked another miracle and they had started by 10am and the job was complete at 5pm.

Black and White hands overlap to cut celebratory cake!

The vocational students finished painting the OPD while others worked on the mahogany bench tops for the pharmacy. Meanwhile AW & RR took a bus load of patients up to the Bregma clinic for xrays and other tests. They also went to the local Government Aids Unit to have some children tested for Aids. It will take four weeks to get the results. When they arrived back we all headed down to the Aids Hospice where they had organised a farewell/celebration party. Farewell for Rowena and Andrew and celebration for the opening of the OPD. Irene came and cut the ribbon as part of the official opening it was fantastic to see it all come together.

Official cutting of ribbon at OPD

The nurses organised all the party food.... we thought chips lollies etc but not here in Kitgum! They had chapati, bananas,soft drink,chocolate cake and the hi-light was boiled eggs. They sang us songs the nurses got dressed up in their best clothes which they would only do on Sunday for church it was a real celebration. It was a very moving afternoon. Tomorow AR & RR head for Kampala on an eight hour bus trip over pot holed filled roads. Then an overnight stay before leaving Thursday afternoon for home arriving back in Brisbane at 12:45 am Saturday morning. Mean while Poor Dr G is left all alone with his freinds in Kitgum please continue to pray for us and him Thankyou for all your prayers and support. AR & RR signing off from Kitgum see you all back in Oz.

Back on track !---- Soaring like eagles!

This morning our devotional reading was from Isaiah 40:29- 31
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall, but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. they will walk and not be faint"
We prayed God would make this a reality in our lives today and we have seen Him strengthen us .

Some small projects came to fruition. Two tyre swings were erected on a big tree outside the hospice and OPD for the use of the children. A hop scotch painting was put on the concrete outside the Hospice for the children to enjoy.

Painting and electrical work is underway in the OPD.
AW spent some time seeing patients in the morning with Vincent, one of the sponsored medical students. Rowena headed up an inservice session with the medical team on Infection Control and this was well received. We have seen a significant improvement in staff morale and enthusiasm since we first arrived.  The patients too seem to be glowing!

Rowena and Terri (from melbourne) took a boda (motorcycle) ride up to the town to do some shopping for equipment.  Andrew W went to visit a local medical practitioner , Dr Oringa Vincent  in his private clinic to offer him free registration to a medical software program . He was very excited about this ! (we also ran out of petrol in the motorcycle on the way !)  We are still hoping to interview applicants for a clinical officer and lab technician for OPD this week.

AR was coaxed up onto the hair raising timber scaffolding leaning against the 3 storey vocational building. He also preached up a storm to a packed assembly of 1500 vocational students, encouraging them to continue their studies and be proud of their achievements and role in developing the country.
He is hoping to help the metal work students to get started on a steel scaffold construction tomorrow.

Homesick blues!

AR enjoys bush bashing to lunch at Pastors

Rowena sights local wildlife

Lots of exuberance and joy in Church today

Slow pace Saturday

AR and RR didnt sleep so well last night but forged on this morning like real troopers!
AW and AR walked through the OPD with the electrician identifying  sites for lights and plugs. AW saw some patients in the hospice with Vincent and Fransisco, then we ate on of our dehydrated lunches '--- Roast lamb and mashed potatos----just add water and kapow!  Not bad....

Irene let us borrow a vehicle and driver to go up town and do some exploring and shopping as well as drop into Fuglys and book dinner for tonight as our cook is away. 

Doing mission at Fuglys !

It was hot walking the streets!
Managed to buy a bunch of bananas for  $1. Wish they were that cheap back in Brissie!

This afternoon AW did some computer work while the Rowes went down and shared some joy with the Hospice patients, giving them shoes and clothes from the storeroom !!  What happy faces !

Hot, dusty and pressing in.

Doc you can do it!!!!

General feeling today has been flat and a bit of a struggle. Andrew W and Andrew R are soldiering on in this place but the boys are becoming weary. It is a full time job keeping the morale up here but I am doing my best. The boys get a little unruley at times and need a firm talking to but generally they are able to step up to the mark and do a good job.

Work commenced today on the new incinerator. Very exciting as this has been a project on the "back burrner" for sometime. The boys are very proud of there achievements. This will bring some much needed changes and address some important health risks. The young students here at CKS are doing an amazing job. They are so keen to help and I think they have really enjoyed the teaching and encouragement. It has been awesome to set them to different tasks to advance their skills.

Constructing new medical waste incinerator

Today we discovered some great furniture which had been donated and was in the store room. There are some desks and cabinets and chairs which will be suitable for the OPD rooms.

AW and AR spent some time with Irene and Alfred tossing around the plans for a possible future Hospital on site for maternal and child health.

AW  did some inservice education on management of childhood illnesses with the medical team.

Tomorrow night we hope to go out for tea to Fuglys as our cook will be away. Hopefully we dont get lost this time. 
The electrician on site is planning to connect the OPD to power which will be great and we will be selecting plug sites etc in the morning.

Time is ticking down till the Rowes leave on Wednesday for the long bus trip to Kampala.

Hospice kids do some colouring in