On Friday, Mma Monare and I visited the Cancer Association of Botswana. We first stopped by to visit the nurses in their office, which adjoined the Tshiamo House for female cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy or radiation. Mma Monare knew the two nurses on shift, Mma Motegele and Mma Sebako, because she used to supervise the distribution of supplies from Princess Marina Hospital to the interim house. As a result, our visit was very enthusiastically received, and the nurses were extremely receptive when Mma Monare explained that I was looking for healthcare challenges that could use technological solutions.
Mma Motegele (who thought it was hilarious that I couldn’t pronounce her name) then gave me a brief tour of the Tshiamo House, also known as the Interim Care Home. There were two rooms, each with a row of ten beds. Often, Mma Motegele said, the interim housing is full, and there aren’t enough beds for patients. Around each bed was the optional screen drapes that could be pulled around to allow a little privacy; at the very end of the room was a small television set for entertainment. Next to each bed was a small set of drawers for personal belongings. There were only one or two patients in the rooms when I was there; most of the time during the day, they sit outside and enjoy the sun and company of visitors or each other.
Most of the patients were from distant villages, and stayed at the interim house for 6 to 8 weeks at a time to undergo treatment at Princess Marina. The patients are provided transportation to and from PMH, and are always accompanied by a nurse. PMH also provides the food for the patients. The patients are ambulent, so the nurses roles often center more around emotional support than physical tasks.
On first glance, I couldn’t think of any possible global health technologies projects. What more could be done for these patients? The nurses said that they would keep my project in mind as they went about their daily routines, and contact Mma Monare if they thought of any ideas.
Afterwards, I met Sharon at their main office. She gave me a brief overview of the NGO, and their different programs: awareness, care, support, and reach for recovery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_Association_of_Botswana). Most of the programs have volunteers who help carry out the various functions, such as providing emotional and physical support to cancer patients, as well as raising awareness about cancer at schools, churches, and government-sponsored events. The program is small, Sharon said, but growing; they recently partnered with the Ministry of Health in certain efforts, and they’ve reached over 30 active volunteers. With the rise in cancer incidence rates in Botswana, the work of the Cancer Association of Botswana is more important than ever.