Nkoaranga Adventures

N o power - 4/5 nights without power

K ids at the orphanage - behind our house where we spend our spare time

O opherectomy - marc and supriya each assisted on this surgery

A ll sharing one bathroom (12 people)

R oosters - 24/7

A ir drying laundry - takes 8 days when at 100% humidity

N o running water - the one night we had power...

G owgate aneasthetic (local aneasthetic) injections in the dark

A ll 8 (+2) crammed into a 4 seater taxi

Nkaronga Hospital
The team has spent the past four days volunteering and learning in the rural village of Nkaronga. As students, our healthcare experiences in Canada are limited, however many of us are striken by the differences between the small rural hospital of Nkaronga and what we have experienced in Canada. In class, it never dawned on me that people would undergo surgeries we learn about without a general aenesthetic, having to bare the brunt of their illness while awake and in pain. During my observerships, I never realized that surgeons accross the world sometimes have to scrub into emergency surgery while the running water of their hospital is shut down for the day. At the risk of being cliche, I truly have a newfound appreciation for some of the drugs and procedures we get for free in Canada.
I have decided to lead off with care in the hospital such that it will be more difficult for me to complain about our living arrangement: 2 rooms. 8 People. 4 additional Roommates. 1 Bathroom. No running water presently. No electricity at times.My bed is on wheels and sinks into the center of the room. We have two mysterious pets, a dog and a cat, who come and go as they please. To be a little more candid, I woke up the other day with a spider bite on my backside which I am reminded of every time I sit down. You think I may be miserable, but the truth is that aside from some mild homesickness and a literal pain in my ass, I have never been better. The group has been getting along and facing every hardship, either instrinsic or extrinsic, with enthusiasm and gusto. We have been learning every day during rounds and in the operating room theatre, helping to treat illnesses which have been ignored and neglected while they ought to have been treated within weeks. This truly has been the experience of a lifetime, and it makes me now more than ever appreciative of the people who have supported us and our plush lives in Canada. As always, share your comments, and keep in touch.
-Marc Lipkus and the Gang