I always feel like every time I post something about Uganda and compare it to the west, I am being negative. But, I hope you know my heart and how much I love the people here. There are a lot of really great health initiatives happening here including mother friendly hospitals, reduced HIV rate, etc. This week was my first chance to see a hospital up close and personal. I visited a friend in one of the better hospitals here. Even though it was a good hospital, I was still shocked at some of the things I found.
1. No services are provided. This means no sheets for the beds and no food. Not even a toothbrush or pillow! The patient must bring their own things to use. There are convenience, little stores that offer basins and soap for showering as well as any food item you can imagine.
2. No privacy. There is literally no privacy anywhere. Apparently there are private rooms, but I didn't see them. Patients share a ward and there are no privacy screens.
3. The procedures are barbaric (in my opinion). Doctors often do not pay attention to the way they cut patients and comfort is not considered.
4. Time is not observed. At home, we have appointments for surgery, which may change based on emergencies, but here you wait many hours in a life while they assess people one by one.
5. Bathrooms are not private or even in the ward. You have to go outside to get to a restroom sort of like an outhouse. Imagine how that feels before/after surgery.
I had the chance to travel to Masindi a few weeks ago with a friend. Masindi is a tourist town because it is close to a park and most people stop there before continuing on to a safari. Of course, I had the inside scoop and knew where to stay locally for cheap!
These are some of the scenes in Kampala of people selling things. I used to hate all of the people selling things on the side of the road, but now I really love it because I can get anything I need, fresh, and directly from the garden.
Of course like most places I go, I had to take a boda and this motorcycle was driven by one of my friends from UCU.
breakfast and Uno!!
The hotel was quite nice and cost about $20 a night. I was so happy with the price, the meals, and the property.
I visited my friend, Daniel's family home, which was built by Habitat for Humanity.
Many people keep pigs and then sell off the piglets.
The hotel grounds were absolutely gorgeous.
Love playing pool!
This is my baby niece. She was 1 month when I left and look at her now. I can hardly wait to scoop her up into my arms. My parents love being grandparents and I am so proud of my sister and brother-in-law for the way they love Ella.
Before I left to Kabale last week, I was able to Skype with my incoming 6th graders. I really try to go visit the elementary schools so that the students can see my face and will recognize me when they come in August. Naturally, the students have a lot of questions, but they asked me one-by-one about what to expect in middle school. I love that I am coming back to them and I am excited for my transition. I am so thankful for great elementary teachers who work together to made the transition run more smoothly for these special kids. Many thanks to Megan for coordinating this effort!!
