Our week coincided with the end of a visit from an Australian urology team. This worked massively in our favour as the anaesthetist in particular was very keen to teach and equally as keen to get us involved. He had taught us through how to put a spinal anaesthetic in twice and then allowed us to assist in the ones that followed. We both had a couple of goes over the two days and felt extremely privileged to do so! I can't say it wasn't terrifying sticking needles into someone's spinal cord!
We watched a number of the same prostate operation, the Australian team was over to provide man power to clear some of the backlog of these operations that had built up over the year since they were last here. We got to put cannulas in and practise other skills which was really invaluable experience
Amys handiwork
One of the operating theatres
The rest of the week was spent with the Vanuatu surgical team. There were some really shocking cases, things we have never seen before and probably will never see again. Lots of ulcers and gangrene, mostly associated with diabetes which is badly managed in Vanuatu, you hear a lot of the doctors talking about it as an epidemic. It's often type 2, type 1 is really rare here interestingly. It's often really badly controlled as the education on diet and lifestyle just isn't there.
Miss Kelly in her oversized scrubs
Here she is
Large scrubs only here!
We've also come across a lot of situations where traditional herbal medicine appears to conflict with that of modern medicine. Often people rub herbs and other topical concoctions into already infected feet, legs, arms even eyes. This often as you can imagine has terrible detrimental effects and often results in a worse outcome, normally amputation. This is something we don't come across much in the UK luckily as it obviously puts a strain on Dr patient relationships here!
We've been on a few sunset walks into town recently. Here's or favourite bench
And an ice cream
Back to planning New Zealand. :)
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