Dr. Richards-Kortum and Dr. Oden visited on Thursday! It was great to see familiar faces from Rice. During the morning, they demonstrated to Doreen and Mma Monare a prototype of a point-of-care device that measures hemoglobin levels.
After having been in Botswana for a while and having seen and heard the difficulties in PMH, I finally understood why Dr. RRK in her GLHT 201 class had said that point-of-care technologies was where everything was heading: they eliminated the need for the long wait for lab results, the running back and from the lab, and the need for a middle-man. Considering that one of the biggest inconveniences here is the 6-week wait for results and missing results that never make it back to the patient, point-of-care diagnostics is definitely the next step. It’s also very likely to be the next step for the other African countries as well after they overcome the initial challenge of lack of resources. That’s one of the advantages of being placed in Botswana for my internship: although I’m not getting the shoe-less, car-less, washing-my-own-laundry-by-hand experience of living in Malawi, I am getting a preview of where the developing countries are headed next!
During the morning meeting, I was also able to ask Doreen about the Dremofuge and the HRME training for the nurses (I’ll write more about the HRME training later). She didn’t think that a battery-powered centrifuge would be in much demand in Botswana.
Around noon, I had lunch at the Gaborone Sun with Dr. RRK and Dr. Oden, and we talked about my experiences here regarding the technologies, the housing, and the people. We also discussed the next steps that I have been planning on taking (observing at the Mochudi outreach hospital, the Pediatric ward, the Accidents and Emergency ward, etc.), and they offered some suggestions, such as getting a tour of a lab and talking to surgeons.
On Friday, after work, Mma Thipe and Irene from the IDCC office invited me to go shopping with them at Main Mall. They helped me pick out a traditional Botswana skirt to wear for the wedding of the Botswana-UPenn HR chair in July! The skirt is called “Leteise” in Setswana, and uses German print fabric in a wrap-around style. It’s purple and white — in keeping with the color code for the wedding!
At night, the UPenn residents, med students, and I went to the Gaborone Yacht Club to celebrate the Winter Solstice by watching the sunset over the Gaborone Dam, eating dinner, and enjoying live music in the background. The residents and med students sang along to what they said were songs by the band U2… I didn’t recognize any of the songs, and was rather amused by the generation gap between us. Also, the TV at the yacht club was showing a game of rugby — another little amusing reminder that, despite the presence of all the expats at the yacht club and the western dinner choices, I wasn’t in the States! Botswana is filled with little signs here and there of British influence (Botswana was formerly a British protectorate until 1966). For example, they say “chips” instead of “fries.”
We also got four new roommates in our unit of Pilane court! Now, there are a total of 9 people in our unit (we have 3 rooms, one toilet, two showers, and a kitchen). This is beginning to feel a little like summer camp, haha 😛 They’re all UPenn first year med students who are doing different sorts of projects here.
Tonight, I think we’re going out to the Mokolodi game reserve for dinner at the restaurant there. It’s ranked #1 in Trip Advisor, so I’m looking forward to it!
Tomorrow (Sunday), Jaks from my office is picking me up at 9AM and taking me to his church! Then Mma Mchunga, who goes to the same church, will drop me back off at Pilane Court. I went to the Christ the King Cathedral Church last Sunday, so I’m excited to see what this one will be like!