Omdat de directeur het ook graag wil lezen deze keer in het engels.

-This weekend I am on a trip, visiting Sunyani, the regional capital. This because both the director and the administrator were going here and then there is not much to do for me in the hospital.It is also nice to see a different place again. Although Sunyani is not really an exciting place. Now I have some time to write on my report. Time goes so fast, next Wednesday I am leaving already.

This week I made official visits, to the bank manager, the local head of the national insurance, ( a very nice, agreeable, wise man. Only he cannot help it that insurance is 4 months behind in paying) and to the local Health office. I spoke to the whole team there, doing good work in public health. We made a groups picture and I got a piece of cotton from them, with the sign of their office. We brought it to the seamstress, and next week when we go on tour to the health centers I will wear it. Meanwhile I gathered a lot of information and have to start writing the report.On one of my walks  I also was introduced to one of the members of parliament, living in Sampa. All these visits have been announced beforehand.

 I try to do some teaching in ultrasound. They have a good machine here, but are not yet capable of making ultrasounds. The both doctors did learn some general US, but not obstetrical. And also the midwife is very eager to learn. I guess these two weeks are too short to really learn it. But I tell them the main thing is: find the head, the heartbeat and the placenta. So I saw several patients in antenatal care. It is so much better organized than in Ethiopia. The ladies get a booklet- provided by the government- , which they have to take with them, in it many advise on pregnancy and childcare. I only don’t know if everybody can really read it. Anyway, some pictures and drawings also clarify signs and symptoms. Everybody (pregnant) gets prophylactic Malaria treatment, which is endemic here. There is also a lot of Sickle cell disease; several patients were admitted with a crisis. So anemia is one of the main problems here. When the new building is finished the maternity clinic will open and they expect about 70-100 deliveries a month to start with….. The surgeon can do caesarean section. Sometimes I have the feeling they think to light of it. Anyway more training is necessary.  I am curious to hear in a few months how all will be evolving.  The matron-midwife was very happy to get some protocols from me. The hospital is very busy, daily they see around 200 patients, on Monday, market day, twice as much. It is amazing how they manage to do this in the limited space they have and with the rather small staff available.

And again I try to make a walk everyday. This week I managed to make a walk on my own and visited the cashew factory. Cashew is the main crop here. Very interesting to see the process. Although it is not the season, they are still working there, and the fresh cashews are so nice!  Friendly people everywhere. It feels very safe to walk around here. And what is so nice here: the children don’t chase you like almost everywhere in Africa, asking for pen, money, etc. They are sometimes even scared of me, the first white person they see. Someone explained to me they think I am an albino, and these people are scary. Sometimes they call me  mammi-Bruni, bruni being the name they call white people here.

So now I am sitting on the balcony of the hotel-Tony’s lodge. It is rather fresh outside, need to put on a jacket! People warned me for the heat here, but up till now it is not hot, even cool now! On the background church singing music. I met another PUM guy in this hotel, he is a bakery expert. Funny to hear about his totally different experiences. Yesterday night We had a meal in a nice resraurant . We means-as usual- I am eating and my hosts watching me.

Tomorrow we return to Sampa and I can do my last teachings.  As I havereasobly good intrenet here I wil try to send some pictures, separately.