Visiting a Private Practice

April 8, 2010

Well we had little sleep between the heat and the noise in town. Of course we were sound asleep when it was time to get up and didn't notice that our alarm hadn't gone off. We woke up ten minutes before our departure time and paid a happy adieu to the shower (spigot on the wall with plastic tubs) with little regret that we didn't get to use it. With tea brushed and caffeine in our system we rushed to our next appointment, a private midwives practice.

The private practice was in a small town and the building itself couldn't have been more than 200 square feet. The trained midwife not only provides birthing assistance but also provides what gynecological care she can. The challenge is that many of her patients can't afford the $7.50 birthing fee. With cash flow constraints they can't afford to have even the most basic of medicines and tools. Tools are sterilized in an old pot at bedside. There was one 19 year old girl that had just given birth. She and her mother were very somber. The father was outside and appeared to be at least twice the girls' age.

We had moved quickly through our visit because of an appointment we had back in Kampala at 4pm. When we stepped outside, our vehicle had a flat tire! Our car karma on this trip has not been the best. While our driver changed the tire I went in search of some water. This was a wonderful opportunity to walk through this tiny, tiny, village and meet some of the locals. I stopped at the rice shop and the attendant gladly led me down a mud alley to a tiny shop that sold cold drinks as well as Indian spices! The Indian presence is huge in Uganda and you find Indian food even in the remote villages. Much to our pleasure!

Back in the car we drove straight through to Kampala. Along the way we found out there had been some miscommunication about the meeting and that we now had our evening free. We got back into town and stopped for a nice lunch. During out lunch at 2:30pm we got a call that a 4pm meeting had been arranged. Dirty from our road trip we dashed off to get cleaned up and changed. The timing was tight so Meg went off in a taxi while I waited for our colleague Patrick. Patrick and I took off just barely in time but then that darn car Karma kicked in again. The vehicle died right in the middle of rush hour traffic. We agreed that Patrick should continue to the meeting as I stayed with the car and waited for assistance. I sat on the roadside, very warm in my suit, until the mechanic came and managed to get the car started. He then drove me to the Ministry of Health where I waited for my colleagues. The meeting went very well with continued buy in from the Ugandan government.

What a day. We also learned that "the big meeting" we have been trying to schedule for two years was going to happen the next day at 8:30am! Exhausted, we went "home" and collapsed for another fitful night's sleep as the importance of the next meeting weighed on our minds.

Tania