Paeds week

We were on paeds this week, met some really interesting doctors and some really fascinating patients. We have been able to do baby checks on our own Which has felt like quite a privilege. We check each new born over to exclude any congenital or birth problems. They're so small and so cute but undressing the hundreds of layers of clothes they're wearing in the vanuatu 'winter' is a bit stressful. We have also sat in on clinics and seen outpatients in what seems to be like their Gp drop in service. 

We had a sad medical encounter where there is a baby on the ward who has a leukaemia that if in NZ australia or UK would have an extremely good prospect, over 90% survival rate with chemo. Here, however, they don't have the facilities for chemotherapy so the poor baby is now for palliative treatment. It's moments like this that brings it home and shows how vastly different the medical facilities are in the Pacific. 

On a lighter note we had a doctors social on Thursday that we were kindly invited to. It meant we got to see Dr Kevin again, he also threw some shapes as it was a music and dancing sort of event! It was essentially the vanuatu equivalent of the BMA so there was a lot of discussion about future events and their motives and goals. There was a free dinner of rice, root veg, lots of chicken and some lovely homemade coleslaw. We had a good chat with the doctors as they sipped kava and munched the free dinner. 

We headed back to the hotel and went to au cafe du village again for a few drinks and to see Sheila, Wendy and Philip. 

We managed to get some pictures of where we're working as we were early for the meeting and the place was pretty deserted. Here they are! 

Main driveway

The front of the new building. Donated by the people of Japan opened may last year 

The new building again. 

Sunset over the old section of the hospital 

New building on the right. Old pharmacy on the left

Where we started our placement (with lots of damage still from cyclone Pam)

A corridor in the old section

Bits of the corridor destroyed in Pam

Outside the childrens and surgical wards. Where we've been working this week. In the old section of the hospital, the whole roof was blown off by Pam and fixed within one week by the Australian and New Zealand militaries

Patients washing 

The old pharmacy 

Operating theatres are now in the new building, and air conditioned!! Thank goodness 

Sunset at Vila central

Today we went for a walk after a spot of reading in the sun. We had fish and chips by the sea, (I had steak. Yum!) and walked to a music festival to raise money for the victims of Pam. It was great and went in until the late hours! Would've been fun to go back in the evening but we were shattered.