We Arrive - Finally

July 9

We arrived in Sumbawanga on the 7^th after a very long journey that started in Phoenix and proceeded to New York, Dubaiand Dar es Saalam by air. After a night in Dar we boarded a bus and rode for 13 hours to Mbeya – a distance of about 700 miles. In the morning we made the final 200 mile leg to our destination in a Landcruiser that the hospital graciously provided with a driver. This was my third trip and by now I have learned which are the nice hotels along the way and how to handle the chaotic bus terminals. Nevertheless, a four day journey takes its toll and I was exhausted on arrival. This trip I decided that intestinal stapling instruments were the things to bring and we toted a duffle bag full of them. Many thanks to Nathan Breece of Covidian, Inc. for supplying thousands of dollars worth of these disposable instruments at no charge.  Kudos to Emirates Airlines who not only sponsored our trip – Ara’s and mine, but also waived all luggage fees to bring things over including a heavy microscope. There are not so kind words for US Airways who charged me for every ounce.

On arrival we checked into the Forest Way Inn where I have stayed on previous trips. To be truthful the place is not as good as before. It is noisier, not quite so clean and the food has gone from plain and adequate to barely tolerable. Were we staying a full month I would contemplate moving but since we will be here only two more weeks we’ll stick it out.

Dr Jasper Nduasinde, my Tanzanian counterpart, was waiting for us at the hospital yesterday morning and he did not waste any time. He first took us around town to make courtesy calls on local dignitaries. This is obligatory protocol where we sign each one’s visitor’s book and engage in small talk during which I try to make very simple sentences sound intelligent. Despite the fact that English is the official government language it would be charitable to characterize the English skills of most local officials as marginal. These visits, though extremely cordial, have awkward silences broken by inane questions. We got through them and set off for the hospital.

Sumbawanga

Regional

Hospital

is a big place. It serves and area of over 150,000 people. Each ward is a separate building and though somewhat dilapidated they are serviceable. They are placed around a central yard that serves as staging area, meeting place and portable outside laundry where patients’ families wash clothes for their loved ones. I was very impressed by the progress being made here and I will write more about that later.

I had concerns that there might not be enough work to keep us busy. That fear was unfounded as Jasper had built up a large consultation list and in our first two days, yesterday and today, we have seen over forty patients and performed several procedures. There is a full surgery schedule tomorrow.

This is the first time I have ever worked with Ara and I was so pleased with the way he took charge and displayed terrific confidence as well as an amazing command of a wide variety of medical knowledge. I’ll try not to “kvell” too much.

Off to bed now. Tomorrow’s a big day.