Chapter III
|
Final Chapter : Coming Home …..
02.03.09
|
As I walked into work this morning , I was surprised to see two locals overtake me. This may not seem important to those of you reading this log, but when I arrived in Tanzania, I walked so fast, in typical Western style, that I was always out-there in front. Now, either there are some locals speeding up (which is unlikely), or I am finally adapting to the slower and often better pace of life that they have here . In the heat, it’s really impossible to walk that fast, although I am still absolutely incapable of walking alongside my slowest colleagues!
There are many marvellous things that I have learnt here in Tanzania and some that I hope I have taught them too. I start work at around 7am teaching a mixed group of nurse anaesthetist students and medical students. The anaesthetist group is now more than half way through their one year training programme and are increasing their knowledge and skills. It is good for their confidence to know so much more sometimes than the medical students! We stop class around 8am and go to theatres to get ready for the day. I then wander between the various operating theatres checking that all is well; that all the necessary equipment is present and functioning; that the patients are appropriately prepared and that the surgeons are present. Not so dissimilar from home really! A common cause for a late start is clinical anaemia that may or may not have been detected by blood tests and a lack of available blood. We also run out of some drugs, and have to be very careful about what we use. |
Dr. Naomi Goodwin |
|
|
Tanzanian Sunset |
I have introduced the concept of audit to the department – something so common at home, but not often used here. Hopefully, this may provide impetus to change those things that can easily be changed, although late arriving surgeons are, I believe, a universal worldwide problem that we all have to cope with! I work until lunch time and then walk home to have lunch with my children. I then go back for and teach for an hour in the afternoon. All in all, it’s a pleasant working day.
My main concern at the moment is how the changes that I have made can be maintained. I have modified the training programme for the nurse anaesthetists, and so am busy trying to make sure that next year’s programme is in place. Next to each topic I have also put details of either the book to use for that topic, or where it can be found on the information CDs that I have brought. Hopefully, this will give next year’s students and those who teach them an easy resource to use These CDS are called “Anaesthesia Resource Volume 3” and are a fantastic source of information. They can be obtained free of charge for those working in developing countries from www.talcul.org. Each member of staff and all the nurse anaesthetists in training here have been given a copy to keep. I had thought that the information available on the internet would be useful for teaching. However electricity and internet are frequently unavailable. CDs and books are much more accessible. |
|
|
Living in Tanzania continues to be good. The children are very happy in the school, and my son has just returned from a school camping trip to the base of the Rift valley. And in the rainy season too! What a great time he had! We have only got another 6 weeks left now before we leave and I really don’t want to go home. Our big question is how can we afford to come here again?
Any comments can be directed to me via the Truphatek website.
Dr. Naomi Goodwin |
||
