Hot and dusty in Masindi
on Mangos, Monkeys and Maggie (Uganda), 19/Jan/2009 17:10, 34 days ago
It is worrying when the Ugandans are complaining of the heatbut they are now.The last week has been very hot and every one is finding it difficult.By the time I have walked to work, ten minutes down the hill, I am ready for another shower. You sweat and smell all day until you climb the hill for home and another shower.We have it easy with indoor plumbing but most Ugandans have to collect there water from a well, river or borehole. You see children from about the age of four carrying water. It is part of their daily ritual and families will spend several hours a day collecting water.Often the water is not safe to drink so they then need to collect fuel to boil it. Obviously many families do not bother putting themselves at risk of diarrhoeal diseases.The dry season is hotter and earlier this year.People are worried that Uganda could be in for a drought and have to import food.This would have been unthinkable a few years ago but a poor harvest and increasing population could cause problems.It rained last night the first for 4 weeks but it did not last and by morning there was no sign.With the dry weather comes Masindi's orange dust. This gets in to every thing and it is impossible to keep things clean. As you walk down the road you acquire an orange layer and ginger hair.The lorries are the biggest nuisance they throw up a thick cloud of dust that will envelope you for several minutes. Not only is this bad for your health and clothes but it makes you invisible to the next vehicle and many accidents are caused by dust clouds.Last week there was an out break of meningitis in the district. There have been 6 deaths so far and several more cases. This generates a response from the district who try and manage the outbreak and limit its spread.Today I went out to the health centre to examine a new suspect. She was related to a previous case and had attended her funeral. The patient was 14 years old and had developed a headache and fever last night. By the time I saw her she was obviously very ill.The cases are looked after in the health centre in a makeshift ward with mattresses on the floor. I managed to do a lumbar puncture on her and prove that she had meningitis and she was started on treatment. Usually one shot of chloramphenicol is enough to treat the patient. There were several patients at the health centre who had been moribund a couple of days earlier who were now ready for discharge. It was impressive to see the nurses and community staff working together and saving lives.But the success is in spite of real difficulties.John who runs the community side has no budget for management of an outbreak. He had to borrow fuel from the Red Cross to get out to the health centre. There is no money for a radio announcement to alert villagers to the problem. There are no vaccinations for health staff and no money to pay their extra allowances. The sample of CSF needs to go to Kamapala for culture and he does not know where he will get the funds for the bus fare.Money is tight for the routine care but seems available for HIV care. The latest NGO in the patch is just recruiting 48 staff and moving in to a big new office. Its role is to test babies and pregnant women for HIV. Unfortunately they are providing no funds for treatment which they are expecting the hospital to provide. Our clinic is struggling to provide care for are present work load.On Wednesday I was able to order more mosquito nets thanks to the people who had given through the just giving web site. On Saturday 1000 nets arrived from Rwanda. Sometimes things in Uganda can surprise you with their efficiency. This week 3 more villages will be offered nets.