Chidamoyo Hospital in Zimbabwe

This week was busy with undergraduate students here from the University of Illinois, Urbana/Campaign.We kept them busy helping in all departments, seeing 2 C/Sections, watching normal deliveries and traveling out to do Immunization Clinics as well as a weeklong HPV vaccination clinic for girls 10-14 years of age.
They were kept busy in the many activities and seemed to enjoy it.We wore them out as they were ready for bed by 8 p.m. most nights!Breakfast started at 0645 so they had a long day!
Friday (yesterday), we said goodbye to Elliot Harris who has been with us since 3 February!He left for a couple of days in Harare before he flies home to Seattle on the 2nd of June. He was very helpful at the hospital and at home so we will miss him a lot and wish him well as he prepares to apply for medical school!
This morning (Saturday,) our University of Illinois group left for 3 more days visiting in Zimbabwe before they head for home on Tuesday.I asked if they were anxious to leave and one girl…

Well it has been a busy couple of weeks around the hospital. Slowly, winter is coming here and already it is getting into low 60’s at night and early mornings but still up to 80’s during the day.I have put the duvet on the bed and ready to get out my electric under blanket!As my visitor Elliot from Seattle, WA keeps saying “this is perfect Seattle weather!” He is wearing shorts in the morning!! brr...
Elliot is winding up his 4 months with us and leaves for home on June 2.He is getting more experience in assisting in surgery and putting sutures in.He doesn’t mind getting called out at night for C/Sections.
This past weekend I agreed to be on call from Friday night to Sunday for anaesthesia to cover our doctor who had to go to Harare.Of course, an hour after he left, I got called at 10 pm for a C/Section and before the night was out, I got called again at 0400!Got home just in time to start breakfast!
Sunday, they called me at 11:15 a.m. and  I was just getting lunch ready for 12 people t…

On the 26th of April I went into the hospital in Harare to have a right kidney stent removed and replaced.It went well and I was out the same day.  They have to be replaced every 3 months and this was my third one.  Spent the next day in Harare and then headed for home on the 28th.This is hopefully my last stent as I will be leaving mid-August to go to the USA to have surgery at Stanford Hospital in California that should correct future problems.  My doctor here can't wait!!
On the 30 of April after work I left with Major and his wife Patience to drive to Harare.We got there shortly after midnight and by 4:30 a.m. we were up to leave by 5 a.m. for the airport for a 7:20 a.m. flight to Joburg, South Africa.Michael, Major’s son met us at the airport in Joburg and went on to our hotel near the airport to spend the night with us.The hotel had a free shuttle to the nearest mall and so we spent the afternoon shopping before we took off the next morning—all 4 of us for Windhoek, Namibia.
W…

We are getting some rain late in the season—more in April than we had in February and March.It’s too late for the crops but a great help to our water table and for drinking water in the coming dry season!Definitely weird to have this rain now.It should be getting cooler and dry! With Seva and Elliot, my visitors, we have enjoyed going out with Major to visit some of his churches away from the mission.  It is always a fun time for us and the churches.
This week we got the hand pump borehole that was donated by the Gulaliev family of NYC who donated this is in memory of their parents.This has helped our pregnant women who were getting up at 4 a.m. to go join the queue 2 kms away to get water—now they walk very close and pump what they need as many times a day as they need.We are so thankful for this and the rains are giving us plenty of water!
Seva, our visitor since early February left Wednesday to return to NYC.She will be writing her MCAT test to get into Medical School in May so please…