Chidamoyo Hospital in Zimbabwe

Sorry to have been off for a couple of weeks but have been having some medical issues. After months of chronic UTIs I went for an IVP which was normal, no stones and within 12 hours started pain and passed a stone! So much for tests! I had Major drive me to Harare to see my doctor because of the excruciating pain and about at the end of our dirt road felt a lot of pain and then relief! I knew that bumpy road was worth something! All the way on the road I was curled up in fetal position not talking and Major was sure I died and kept asking if I was OK ! I couldn't talk because it would hurt more and so he talked more! Funny now that I look back at it, not when I was using my Lamaze breathing techniques! That pain was something else and the drugs didn't touch it--and let me tell you I tried quite a few! Now I am feeling better and only missed 1 day of work so that was good timing! My doctor in Harare gave me more drugs which helped a bit but seemed to make me more sic...

Some pictures from a recent trip to Kariba Hi from Kathy

Top 10 Reasons to be Missing Chidamoyo Medical: 10. You ask someone’s name to write in the Lab test book and he says “I’m Innocent” and you reply “I don’t care if you are innocent or guilty, I just want your name” and then you figure out that is his name—Innocent! 9. Your order an X-ray and when the patient asks how much it is you reply “8 chickens or 1 goat, if it big or 2 if it is small, or 10 Obama dollars, 100 Zuma Rands, 1 blanket or 6 litres of cooking oil. 8. You ask for warm water for a surgical procedure and they call the driver and car and when you ask why they said you asked for “wamotor” (Shona for car). 7. You ask a nurse why this order was not done in the last 24 hours and the answer is “I did not admit the patient” so if the order was not followed it is the fault of the nurse who admitted the patient! 6. As a visitor you are at Chidamoyo the last week of the month and Sister McCarty greets you with “lucky you—you can d...

This week we reviewed our barter prices and thought you might enjoy this. Maybe I can be an advisor for Obama on his health care agenda? BARTER EXCHANGE RATE 1-10-09 USD SA Rand Chicken 3 30 Cow 100 1000 Goat 15 150 Groundnuts (per bucket) 4 40 Hanga (guinea fowl) 3 30 Maize (per bucket) 2 20 Pig ...