Since my last post, Vani and I have moved into our new home in Mapoteng. We will be staying in a dormitory-like accommodation (think bunk beds and summer camp) near Maluti Hospital, where we will be working for the remainder of our time in Lesotho. Mapoteng is incredibly tiny; it consists of basically the hospital, some houses for the staff, and two or three small shops. However, it has a very nice, friendly feel. The surrounding landscape is also quite gorgeous. Just outside our front step looms a towering sea of mountains, one in the shape of a nose, complete with a pair of round, full lips and protruding tongue.
Our work at Maluti Hospital will be similar to what we did at Motebang: demonstrate BTB devices, obtain feedback, fix broken medical equipment, and help out the hospital/community as best we can. I’m very happy to report that Vani and I have had success in fixing several devices so far, with scales and sphygmomanometers (blood pressure cuffs) being the most common. Neither of us came in with really any experience with fixing medical devices, but the work hasn’t been too difficult, and it’s quite fun to be honest. And it’s nice to know that we’re making an immediate difference in the hospital.
This morning, we were invited to a Journal Club meeting. Dr. Hurlow (the hospital director), the hospital doctors, and visiting medical students from England and New Zealand attended. One of the medical students from Cambridge gave an interesting presentation about “Bacterial Disease,” summarizing several key articles from the latest edition of the journal Continuing Medical Education. There was an interesting discussion concerning an editorial about antibiotics and how they are sometimes given out too freely without regard to several important factors. For example, strictly on clinical grounds, they are often not necessary. Additionally, hospitals with limited resources may simply be unable to afford the antibiotics, and there is also the concern with causing increased bacterial resistance. However, a complicating factor is that nurses and patients may feel that the doctor is not doing his job if he withholds antibiotics. Dr. Hurlow was of the opinion that antibiotics are “special things that generally shouldn’t be given out routinely.” At the end of the meeting, Vani and I presented the BTB devices and received a very enthusiastic response from the doctors. We plan to introduce the devices to the wards starting tomorrow.
Pics from atop the nose:
