Tyler: Update from Msambweni District Hospital

Not much new has been happening here as of late. Just been going to the hospital every day and working on papers and relaxing on weekends. I got decently sun burned this week. I was outside for less than an hour!! Didn’t take long, I guess. Next weekend, I’ll be heading to Lamu (see previous entry). It’s Easter weekend then, so they get four days off in Kenya. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. That will be a nice little break. I hear that they offer donkey rides around the whole town, making anticipation higher.

Theatre is my favorite part of the hospital. It gets repetitive with some of the procedures, such as prostatectomy, hysterectomy, C. sections, and herniorrhaphy. C. sections are fun though because I get to receive the baby after is removed from the uterus and cut its cord, clean it, and show it to the mama. There are quite a few orthopedic cases too (fractures – pin and plate insertions). Those are really interesting to watch. I took some videos of them, so when I get home some of you can view them! I even got to assist in one procedure, meaning I scrubbed in and wore everything the surgeon does. I was with the head surgeon, so that was a little intimidating, but it was only like 20 minutes anyway.

On Monday and Tuesday, I’m in the wards and we go around and check up on the patients and refer them if necessary to the proper senior medical officers. If we’re lucky, we’ll draw blood, send things to the lab, put in IVs, or stitch a wound to spice up the day. The outpatient clinic (Thursday) is more of the same in that we do check ups of patients who had been previously discharged from the hospital. Basically, these days are filler until its Wednesday or Friday. Every experience here has been great though and really educational because of my supervisors’ tutelage. They’re always explaining things and showing me how to do procedures. I really couldn’t ask for more!

Internet is sketchy here, so no luck with the photos. You might have to wait until I get home to see more…

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Tyler: Msambweni District Hospital

I am now on Kenya’s coastline. I am very close to the Tanzanian border in a town called Msambweni (m-sam-BWAY-nee). It’s a cute little town with barely the essentials. My house has power, running water, a TV, and toilets (they don’t flush; you have to rinse the bowl with a little bucket of water). I am living a whopping 2 minute walk away from the Indian Ocean. It’s like looking at a post card when I walk to the beach. There are palm trees and then sand and then blue [...]

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No Responses to “Tyler: Update from Msambweni District Hospital”

  1. Lin says:
    January 6, 2010 at 4:39 AM

    Dear Tyler

    I have been reading your blog and noticed taht you are in Msambweni. That is same district as where PROJECT AFRICA our organization has a project for rural women . Though ours is located in Lungalunga right at the border of Kenya and Tanzania.

    Being in the Medical field. We thought of sharing with you about our Rafiki Health Day. This is a day when women in our program write letters with health related issues and ask experts for advice.

    The Rafiki Club is a program of Project Africa aimed at facilitating literacy skills to rural women. women in our Adult education Program learn literacy skills by writing and reading letters.

    Reply

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