Back in February we posted an update on the container of supplies bound for Arusha, Tanzania which landed in December. Read on to learn how these supplies are benefiting the healthcare offered in the region……

Today at work it was great to see the effect the medical container has had here.  Today I taught the medical staff how to use the ECG that was donated.

The staff learnt a lot and the radiology staff who will be doing it will practice until they know how to use it.  I also took more gear from the container to theatre

This included 2 boxes of gear that a NZ anaesthetist had got together.

The next photo shows a very excited anaesthetist nurse with the laryngoscope – he kept saying “yeah, yeah”.

The next photo is a picture in theatre and in it you can see gloves on the wall that came from the container, as well as gauzes and vaseline gauze that came in the container.  As I operated I noticed these things and that one of the consultants was wearing scrubs that had been in the container.  The anaesthetic machine had anaestetic tubing that had come from the container as had the gauzes and dressing at the end.

The last photo shows the work of my house girl who has spent the last 2 days or so sorting out the first aid gear that was donated, into piles.  I will, when I return from Australia/NZ, put these into packs for schools, and individuals in the villages who don’t have first aid kits in their home.

Last week I delivered all the boxes of shoes to the Plaster house – sorry there is no photos but it was late and so I couldn’t see the children.

Thanks again for making it possible

We all know that Easter is a Christian celebration but the holiday also has pagan origins.

So where did all the coloured eggs, cute little bunnies and baby chicks come from? They are all symbols of rebirth. Easter in the northern hemisphere falls in the spring, the yearly time of renewal when the earth renews itself after a long, cold winter. The word Easter comes from the pagan goddess of Eostre, involving the season of the growing sun and new birth. The Easter Bunny was originally a symbol of fertility (if you’ve ever had two pet rabbits you’ll know why). The particulars may vary, but most cultures around the world use the egg as a symbol of new life and rebirth. Another link to the egg comes from the ancient Eqyptians, Persians, Phoenicians, and Hindus all believed the world began with an enormous egg, thus the egg as a symbol of new life has been around for eons.

Whether you are working or relaxing, the team at AUSSTAT/KiwisSTAT would like to wish you a safe and happy Easter and may the Easter bunny be good to you all.

NSW have issued an alert for this disease which presents in predominantly acutely febrile children under 5, there have been several cases in Sydney. For more information please click here

Back in November we assisted with filling a container of supplies bound for Arusha, Tanzania which landed in December.  These items were a great help and we can now update you with how some of the items are being utilised.

Please read on for a field report from February……

I started back at work today (though couldnt operate as we had no power, the back up generator wasn’t working and they were getting no water from the bore hole!!).

However I was able to give out some more of the contents of the container and get back feedback from what has been already given out.

The hospital is starting a nursing school so many of the nursing and generic textbooks were able to be put into this for which they are were very grateful today.

I was able to give speculums, urinary bags, gloves etc to the VVF surgeon who was very grateful.  He said that he would appreciate the woollen hats and jumpers that were knitted so that they can give them to the very poor mothers who have just delivered.

I was able to give LMA masks to our anaesthetic nurses that were gratefully received.

Some of the equipment has not been used yet as they are scared of breaking them.  I will start teaching them how to use things next week.

Thank you all for your generosity.

I wil try to get photos of things in use but I forgot the camera this week

Jenny

As we rush headfirst into 2013 and our lives get full of work, family and the multitude of little things that seem to make the days  go faster, we should all take the time to stop, breathe and enjoy the beauty and magic that is all around us.

Follow the link below, relax and enjoy.

http://vimeo.com/58385453.