Some more news

We had another interesting development yesterday. A couple of days ago, Dave and I were enjoying the African evening (by far my favourite time of the day) over a beer in one of our local haunts after another long day in the hospital. We were chatting to the waiter about what we were up to here in Juba, and this English chap came up to us:

“Hello there – I couldn’t help overhearing you were doctors working here. I’m the UK Shadow Minister of Health. I have to go to a dinner now, but let’s meet for breakfast tomorrow and chat.”

Us and Mr O'Brien. A rather cheesey photo I know, but the other was totally out of focus!

So we did. And that’s how we ended up with Rt Hon Stephen O’Brien yesterday over breakfast. He was actually in Juba with Malaria Consortium, but was very interested in our work. It was a very positive meeting overall, and gave us a good opportunity to chat about the Hospital-Hospital link concept, the role of THET, the vital need for building sustainable postgraduate medical education etc. It was also helpful I think to discuss some of the practical and logistic difficulties which Trusts and individuals face when trying to undertake such projects. We have an email address and may well talk further in the future.

So all in all, very good. Clinical work is progressing well and generally uneventfully. I was quite touched today when working with the acute admissions that one of the Medical Officers (my equivalent grade) asked my advice on a patient he was seeing, and actually took it! It doesn’t sound much but actually in a hierarchical system it’s important to have these little breakthroughs now and again.

We’ve been invited to give another teaching session on Saturday (weather permitting, presumably) which will be fun. They love the Powerpoint and I’m particularly proud of the this one!

James