After a brief hiatus when we had to travel back to the UK
for job interviews (fortunately we both got jobs!) we have now both been back
in Zambia for a few weeks, and are enjoying the relative calm that comes with the
end of the rains in what is known as “the cold season”. Judging by people’s attire, you may
think that we are about to get snowfall, but in reality the temperatures are
very pleasant, dropping down from a chilly 25 degrees during the day to a
positively freezing 13 degrees at night!
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| St Lukes Cathedral Msoro (Nice flying buttresses) |
Today we had a very exciting outing with the hospital’s HIV
service to an outreach clinic at Msoro.
Msoro is an old Anglican mission station 2 hours down a dirt road to the
north of Katete. We arrived to the
sight of the intrepid missionary’s grand cathedral, which was quite amazing for
such a small remote place; before entering the health centre to a queue of 140
or so HIV patients. We helped out
the ARV prescribers, who are both nurses, although I’m sure they both saw many
more patients than we did. It was
fantastic to see so many well HIV patients, some who had been on
anti-retroviral drugs for up to 8 years.
Sometimes you get a slightly skewed view of the HIV epidemic being in
hospital, only seeing those who have failed treatment or been diagnosed too
late.
It has been a time of change here with doctors departing
(including ourselves in a few weeks) and new arrivals. It’s all a bit strange making this
transition, and we will really miss being here, but nice to know that there
will be people to take over from us when we leave.
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| Becca about to enter the clinic |
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| Our clinic room (the aftermath) |
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| St Lukes Health Centre Msoro |
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| A last view of Msoro |
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| The journey home... |
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| Back in Katete |
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| Our vegetable garden (an update for those who are interested) - we have harvested one aubergine and 12 tomatoes |
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| The Chuda market (next to the hospital) |
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| Evening on the Great East Road |
