HThe work has begun. We didn't know what to expect. One Landrover and one driver, both were sick. So Becky acted as chauffeur to hospital staff first, followed by us Mzunga, and another staff member in the short wheel base Landrover, through the mud and puddles. Becky is the hospital director, and as we joined devotions she had been asked to lead it. She chose the 1 Corinthians 12 passage on the members of the body each with a part to play. Bernard started a song in Swahili, and the staff joined in a capello. Gile, the Matron clarified each persons' duties on this day. Some of the first arrivals sat in on the staff devotions. We then started the screening with the first three patients who were registered. Registration was followed by Tony checking what the operation might be. Then we would weigh and measure, then Bjorn would check the patient's general health & fitness for surgery. Ann & Anne-Marie would take them off for photography for Smile Train requirements, and catalogue the photo to the patient. Tony compiled a list of operations and likely durations, and we had identified the malnourished or ill. Two of the sixteen today have malaria. We have listed four for tomorrow, but may only manage three. At lunchtime, there were none waiting to be seen so after rice and beans I spent an hour in theatre with Agnes helping me find things I needed. Saline, IV drip tubing, connections for the blood pressure cuffs, and a metal cutter for a coat hanger I was cutting up to stiffen my tubes with shortened lengths of malleable steel. The BP Cuff connectors were the most difficult to source. I think I am ready to go. Bjorn arrived to help me man-handle a 100 litre vat of water from one side of theatre to the autoclave area. I also got a scrubbing brush to clean my equipment between cases. By this time the patients were allocated to two wards, filling one and overflowing to another next door. We did a ward round, making sure those for tomorrow would be fasted and given medications at set times. And then we walked home. No rain today though it thundered just after 1800 a few times. It took me 30 minutes to walk on the rough road, so it's not far short of two miles back to the guesthouse.
After a short period of loosening up exercises on the verandah, dinner was lentil soup with chapatis and cabbage, followed by fruit salad.
Solomon came in to greet us this evening. He has been preparing with a lawyer for a courtcase over a sacked hospital driver. The hearing is in Kisumu tomorrow.
Surgery starts tomorrow. The plan is for an 0830 start in theatre... We shall see!
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