Immunization day

Victoria has set Wednesday for another immunization drive at the Gloria Namasoke Memorial Clinic.  Carly and Rose earlier posted notices around the local village.  Folks are already lined up by the time we walked over from Banana Village, and we meet Rosette, a visiting nurse from Kisubi Hospital who has brought the vaccines.  I am kept busy assessing both adults and children for various issues, mostly minor or chronic diseases.  Several bright kids are still lined up outside when Rosette announces she has run out of tetanus toxoid vaccine, so there is much celebrating among the kids and a promise to return in the spring.

Rosette translates while we assess a patient

Susan comforts a darling young vaccination candidate

Queues outside the clinic

We are finished by 12:30 and Rose gets to work unpacking, sorting, and filing away the drugs and supplies purchased in Kampala.  Susan has promised the young kids a trip to Victoria Mall for a session on the bouncy castle.  Sadly, that attraction is not there today, so the kids are taken upstairs to a playroom where they entertain themselves in a fun house with slides, then enjoy a rare treat of ice cream.

The young ones are loaded in the van

Meanwhile, Simon runs back to BKU to pick up and return Rosette to Kisubi hospital, just beside the school where Esther and Sandra are to be met and brought home.  I decide I would like to see the hospital, and Carly comes along as well.

Following protocol, Rosette takes me to the administration office where Jeanette, a very nice lady in her 8th month of pregnancy, proceeds to show me around the hospital.  The first building was erected in 1906, and the place is owned by the Catholic church.  It is a pay but not-for-profit institution, meaning that hospital fees are adjusted according to means and kept minimal (which is probably still a barrier for many locals).  Much of the donations for new buildings and renovations comes from a charitable organization in Spain.

I am very impressed by the brightness and cleanliness of the entire facility.

the young children's area of the kid's wing

health promotion messages adorn the pediatric outpatient area walls

The maternity area handles over 900 deliveries monthly.  This is the outpatient/prenatal care reception.

Carly joins me for the tour of the surgical suites and general adult hospital wards.  I am particularly impressed by the operating theatre building which houses 3 modern operating rooms - these would not look out of place in 1980 or 1990 Ontario.

a beautiful old tree outside the outpatient laboratory and diagnostic imaging offices

Carly and I tour the operating rooms

the recovery room area is pretty bare yet clean

I am pretty tired at the end of the day.  Walking back to Banana Village for a swim and dinner, I stop to purchase some treats from a roadside vendor.  Sim-sims are sunflower seeds bound with a slightly sweet paste and rolled into balls.  The vendor points to the three small children and asks if I sponsor kids at BKU.  She explains that two of these children are orphans, taken in by her when their father died.  She says she approached Victoria for support but was refused.  I explained that the BKU founder gets dozens of requests to take on children every week, and needs to prioritize or the whole operation will become unmanageable.  I do agree to pass on a good word to Victoria.

Neighbourhood vender

two orphan boys and the youngest, who is the neighbour's son

We have invited Richard, Rose, Jackie & Carly to join us for an Indian food buffet meal at Banana Village.  The food, company & conversation are all very good.