weekend

Didn't write yesterday as a bit upset. It was a long day at the health centre at Wakiso, very busy HIV clinic seeing both antenatal patients and new mums and babies. There where only 2 members of staff to run the clinic and deal with admissions in labour and postnatal women and babies. As you can imagine something had to give. There just wasn't enough of us to help everyone. The midwife I was working with started her shift at 7am and didn't take a break for a drink until after 4pm and her shift wasn't over until after 6pm.

We dealt with many mums and babies for the HIV clinic and booked several who had just found out their status. As well as this we had 2 deliveries and several more admissions in labour as well as post natal patients.

At the very end of my day a car arrived outside the clinic and a very distress man came in shouting I couldn't understand what was being said and thought initially that he was complaining about something. The midwife just seemed to ignore him then she wrote something on a scrap of paper and the man after some pleading rushed back out to the  car. I followed him to see if i could tell what was going on. The passengers seat was flat and as the car drove off, I could see a women covered with blankets lying down. On questioning the midwife I  found that the man had come into the clinic saying he had got a women who was 6 months pregnant in his car who was dying! she was bleeding. I am afraid I was unable to keep my cool and regret my reaction. I questioned the midwife's lack of interest in the mans requests for help. The midwife didn't even get up from her seat to see if there was anything she could do. I had seen this midwife throughout the day site venflons and set up iv fluids so knew she was competent. It is 12 miles through congested traffic to the main hospital in Kampala.

I have since found out that in Uganda midwives have been imprisoned after maternal deaths until investigations have been completed which sometimes takes months even years. So I now understand that things aren't always how they appear.

This was the end of a very stressful 3 days and has left me with much to reflect upon.

water collection point

Today Saturday has been a much better day. We have visited Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary about 3h drive from Kampala but well worth it. Along the way we witnessed the daily chore for most people here of collecting water and carrying it home.

robert Ziwa ranger

The Rhino sanctuary is home to 15 wild Rhinos which they have been protecting and enhancing a breeding program since 1997 following the violent demise in the species, ending in their extinction in Uganda in 1983. Our ranger guide Robert walked us really close to a mum and baby rhino fantastic day

mum and baby sleeping in the shade