As I write this I am currently sat in our hotel garden in
Kampala, trying to decide if the approaching dark cloud is going to materialise
into a tropical storm, and if so where the nearest of point of cover is to run
to is. However, before anyone assumes that I am out here purely for a holiday, I
should probably start with a quick introduction as to the real reason why I am out
here.
Three years ago, as a final year medical student I travelled
to eastern Africa on my medial elective, where I spent a total of eight weeks
working in both a Ugandan and Tanzanian rural hospital. Although it wasn’t the
easiest thing I have ever done, I loved every minute it. However, I felt that as
a student I didn’t have much to offer, so when I left I made a deal with myself
that I would return one day as a qualified doctor, where I should (hopefully)
have a bit more knowledge and experience to use. Upon my return to the UK, I
started work as a newly qualified doctor in Dorchester, where I met Sophie. We
soon discovered that he had similar interests in working in Africa. At some
point (although I’m not entirely sure when) we made a pact that once our two
years of foundation training was over, we would travel to Africa together and volunteer
as doctors.
Although this idea may have seemed nothing more than a romantic
day dream at the time, somehow, two and a half years later, on April 9th
2014, we found ourselves at Heathrow Airport, overloaded with luggage and a
return ticket to Uganda in our hands. We have arranged to work in a small rural
hospital in South West Uganda, called Kagando Mission Hospital (there are some links at the top of the Blog – please check them out as there
is a lot of information on there). This is one of the hospitals that I went to
on my elective three years ago, so I have a vague idea what to expect. However,
despite two and half years of clinical work under behind me, and a diploma in tropical
medicine, I’m not really sure how prepared I feel for this. We are not entirely
sure what we will be doing there – we are hoping we will find out more when we
arrive on Monday. There are Ugandan doctors working on the ward, and our aim is
to work alongside them to learn a bit more about tropical medicine.
In the meantime, after arriving in Uganda late Thursday afternoon,
we have decided to spend a couple of days in the capital, Kampala. I would like
to say that we have been rushed off our feet with activities, but in reality we
have just been lazing about in our hotel, trying to recover from the stress of the last-minute jobs that needed doing before this trip (anyone who knows me will know that I am not the most organised of people, and would not be
surprised to learn that I didn't start organising travel vaccinations until just
a week or two before we were meant to leave). However, we are here now and we have done a
few ‘cultural things’ including a trip to the Ugandan national museum. It hasn't
taken me long to remember why I like Uganda so much – everyone is so friendly,
and will often take the time to come up to you just to ask you how you are.
On Monday we will be leaving for Kagando Hospital, which is
when the real hard work will begin. However, in the meantime I think I am just
going to sit here and hide from the approaching rainstorm.
