July 1: Yesterday morning was dedicated to malnutrition-redecoration preparation. This "active task" required sitting at the dining room table for four hours and cutting out carrots, eggplants, pineapples, tomatoes, and corn from fabric (there is now a visible welt on my thumb from the unforgiving scissors). By the end, I could not keep my eyes open. . .who would have thought that an arts and crafts project could be so mentally exhausting? *Maybe my mental strength needs a few more workouts if cutting things is what I consider tough.* Besides the thumb sores, the morning was relaxing and most everyone in the guesthouse used this time as an "in-house work session."
In the afternoon, Noortje, Julio, and I headed to the oncology ward to perform a needs assessment. While Noortje and Julio were hunting down Dr. Becky, who is always busy, as she is the sole doctor in the cancer center (she is not even an oncologist, but will be attending school in Britain this fall), I created an inventory for the music and art supplies. Allen will use this inventory to make sure that everything is intact and in one place. Once I finished taking pictures and posting them on a document, I joined the others in the office for the needs assessment meeting. When hearing the responses to the questions, such as "How many patients do you see?" and "Do you have a steady supply of drugs?," the difference between the Ugandan hospital and American hospitals struck me. It is baffling that a center can function without a pharmacist. There are three nurses for every thirty to fifty patients. This small hospital serves an area of eight million people. There are so many places for improvement that it is difficult to decide where to start first. It is important that I state these facts not with a pessimistic mindset, but with the thoughts of the countless opportunities for growth. In order for the clinic to thrive, we need to think in terms of positive development. In this next year, the oncology department will hire six new nurses, a pharmacist, and at least one oncologist. Many minor steps will need to be taken in order to achieve the goals, but I do believe that as cancer's prevalence continues to rise, issues will need to be addressed quicker, and more focus will be placed in this department.
Our meeting ended half-way through the twenty-page assessment, for Dr. Becky had yet another meeting to attend. Meanwhile, Noortje, Isabel (an i-Search student), and I journeyed to (can you guess where?) aerobics. Halfway through the session, the director announced that we would cut the aerobics session short and for the second half, learn Zumba (a workout that involves repetitive dance moves). The Zumba instructor came into the gym with a flat-cap on and Converse, and I immediately knew this "Zumba" would not be for me (an already extremely challenged dancer). Noortje and I glanced at each other when the instructor started playing the dullest music ever and thrusting his hips. For any of you who have participated in a Zumba class, you may understand how important the music is. . .the music makes or breaks the fun of the session: this music was awful. Now, I have taken a Zumba class in the U.S., and I will be honest and say I thought it was hilarious and amusing, but once the Ugandan class started, I knew that Ugandan Zumba was not for me. I made a fast break from the room before I had to start doing the moves, Noortje and Isabel in tow. We retreated to the weights and lasted for about five minutes before we gave up (my arms are not the strongest to say the least)!
For dinner, I met with a film crew from Kampala, who are producing a video pertaining to the oncology clinic. Earlier, they had come to film the color run, now they will be filming my project (the music and educational components), and later in July, the crew will be filming the visiting doctors and nurses from MGH. The purpose of the video is to show the progress that is being made in the ward and to document these initial progressive stages.
In the afternoon, Noortje, Julio, and I headed to the oncology ward to perform a needs assessment. While Noortje and Julio were hunting down Dr. Becky, who is always busy, as she is the sole doctor in the cancer center (she is not even an oncologist, but will be attending school in Britain this fall), I created an inventory for the music and art supplies. Allen will use this inventory to make sure that everything is intact and in one place. Once I finished taking pictures and posting them on a document, I joined the others in the office for the needs assessment meeting. When hearing the responses to the questions, such as "How many patients do you see?" and "Do you have a steady supply of drugs?," the difference between the Ugandan hospital and American hospitals struck me. It is baffling that a center can function without a pharmacist. There are three nurses for every thirty to fifty patients. This small hospital serves an area of eight million people. There are so many places for improvement that it is difficult to decide where to start first. It is important that I state these facts not with a pessimistic mindset, but with the thoughts of the countless opportunities for growth. In order for the clinic to thrive, we need to think in terms of positive development. In this next year, the oncology department will hire six new nurses, a pharmacist, and at least one oncologist. Many minor steps will need to be taken in order to achieve the goals, but I do believe that as cancer's prevalence continues to rise, issues will need to be addressed quicker, and more focus will be placed in this department.
Our meeting ended half-way through the twenty-page assessment, for Dr. Becky had yet another meeting to attend. Meanwhile, Noortje, Isabel (an i-Search student), and I journeyed to (can you guess where?) aerobics. Halfway through the session, the director announced that we would cut the aerobics session short and for the second half, learn Zumba (a workout that involves repetitive dance moves). The Zumba instructor came into the gym with a flat-cap on and Converse, and I immediately knew this "Zumba" would not be for me (an already extremely challenged dancer). Noortje and I glanced at each other when the instructor started playing the dullest music ever and thrusting his hips. For any of you who have participated in a Zumba class, you may understand how important the music is. . .the music makes or breaks the fun of the session: this music was awful. Now, I have taken a Zumba class in the U.S., and I will be honest and say I thought it was hilarious and amusing, but once the Ugandan class started, I knew that Ugandan Zumba was not for me. I made a fast break from the room before I had to start doing the moves, Noortje and Isabel in tow. We retreated to the weights and lasted for about five minutes before we gave up (my arms are not the strongest to say the least)!
For dinner, I met with a film crew from Kampala, who are producing a video pertaining to the oncology clinic. Earlier, they had come to film the color run, now they will be filming my project (the music and educational components), and later in July, the crew will be filming the visiting doctors and nurses from MGH. The purpose of the video is to show the progress that is being made in the ward and to document these initial progressive stages.
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