Wednesday 19th October

Last night there was the most enormous thunderstorm. We had supper by strobe as the electricity came and went, sheet lightening lit up Uganda and peels of thunder seemed to roll for 20 seconds.

So…. calm after the storm – Arnold took Jamie Frankie and Lesley to the university to meet Professor Jasper and sign MOU. Also to get each of the the year groups to fill in our questionnaires. Jamie had a very successful IT session with the IT students who were swarming around him by the end bombarding him with questions.

Judy went to the hospital and played father christmas with all the remaining bits of kit and got the check list for the caesarian sections up and running on the labour ward. Then she went off to teach about fistulae and fracture management on the surgical ward. Liv and Sandy’s stools were retrieved from the work shop – and are beautiful, though the responsibility of bringing them him back safely padded is causing some interesting luggage distribution – the customs officers might wonder why one person needs so many hats, scrubs underwear etc.

The university contingent returned midmorning for more ward work and Jamie continued the diagnostics on the hospital x-ray system. Judy did the final stint of suturing lessons on the surgical ward, leaving sister very happy with all her kit. One of the issues they want to start tackling is the bed bound patients and bedsores, somehow starting a culture of turning patients and getting some cushions or wedges.

Frankie put her loyal students on the basics course to the test followed by lots of photographing and certificate waving on the balcony of the admin block. On our way back Frankie was then even happier as she collected a whole bag of surgical hats to bring back to the UK and sell “hats for gowns”.

We had a drink with our surgical friend Patrick followed by a lovely sociable supper at Path joined by Patrick, Cherie, Gudrun, Chris, Julia and Abby. very sad to think tomorrow is our last day- it has all whizzed past too quickly.