Less than one week left. I would like to think that time has gone by fast but looking back on my daily routines at Kitovu Hospital and weekends exploring Uganda I have had time to see and learn so much. We have three weeks left and although that does make me sad I am eager to take what I have been given here and apply it to my life and work back at home.

With it's organization and professional staff Kitovu has opened my eyes to how innovative and progressive Uganda is. The hospital it self is about 15 minutes out of Masaka's main street and the windy road leading up to it is nothing but green trees and flowers. The area it self is on a large hill that over looks a near by village clearly, in the distance you can also see Lake Nabugabu (which is connected to Lake Victoria). It's called Walungi (beautiful) Quarters and located on the far end of the hospital property. The hospital it self was built by Archbishop Joseph Kiwanuku in 1955 along with missionaries of Mary from Ireland, at that time everything at the hospital was free. Since then the hospital has been passed down to Ugandan missionaries. The hospital is also now private due to the lack in funding from Ireland. One of the missionaries in particular, Dr. Maura, has done significant amount of work on the grounds, after 50 years she continues to create changes. She has recently opened up a VVF (Vesicovaginal fistula) ward. This ward is open free of charge for all patients during a camp that is held three times a year. The recent camp ended at the beginning of this month and the amount of women here were flooding the grounds as they used the outdoor washing stations for their clothing and camped out in large black tent behind the ward. It's pretty amazing to see how much Dr. Maura has dedicated towards Kitovu. I had the privilege of meeting her this past Friday (Before this time I had seen her once at mass in the hospital cathedral). She called the social workers office and requested for a chart of a patient to be immediately delivered to her in the out patient department. This office is where I've spent most of my time with the senior social worker George and another social worker Miriam. During our brief phone call Dr. Maura told me that I sounded “very efficient” and asked who I was when she requested the chart. After hanging up I ran over to the records room. I told Specy (the record keeper) that this was an emergency she was laughing at how nervous I was. Her and I got started on sifting through stacks of paper that the hadn’t been filed yet. At this moment I was thinking wow after wasting time going through all this paper work Dr. Maura will be thinking “I guess this Amanjot from Canada isn't so efficient”. What felt like forever after about 5 minutes we found the chart and I bolted over to deliver it. She was very happy and greeted me with a genuine smile and curiosity about why I was here and what my name was. It was nice to see how humble and welcoming she was to me.

One thing I have noticed about the staff here are that they are very happy to be working in such a great place, they get treated well and I haven’t seen any signs of burn out. Everyone truly works as a team. The hospital it self is organized in a such a way that makes it easy for patients to receive various types of treatment. They have three theaters (operation rooms), a large maternity ward, surgical ward, x-ray, ultrasound, a children ward that is connected to a nutrition ward. In this ward malnourished children with their mothers can stay at the hospital learn how to cook and take care of their children properly until the child is treated. As social workers our team is frequently visiting this ward to visit mothers who may be abandoned by their husbands or cannot afford their bill upon discharge. The hospital also has a large laboratory and a regional blood bank that delivers blood to surrounding clinics and hospitals. I recently donated blood there which goes into a 450ml bag used for one adult or can be separated into three bags for children. The laboratory delivers immediate results for patients for example if the doctor needs a stool sample you simply head over to the laboratory, they give you instructions and deliver your results while you wait outside. You then head back to the doctor and they assess you with medication etc. Compared to Canada I think this is a pretty great system how all services are connected and work together. At any time if anyone has a social issue with money, burial services, transportation, HIV counselling or food the patients are sent over to the social workers office. This is where I have been meeting patients, building rapport through George's great translation as he allows me to engage in conversation as they sit close to me and I also use eye contact and gestures because although they cannot understand me I try my best to use non verbal ways of communication as George is translating my English to Ugandan.

Being here I have really kept in mind the idea of doing no harm I have stepped aside and tried to learn as much as I can, especially from George and Miriam. I have tried not to be responsible for directly delivering services and instead been a learner who supports the great staff members. It's hard to explain in words how challenges at the hospital affect my daily feelings and more recently I have often wondered how important the concept of doing no harm is. I can't help but think that my time here is and was for the most part learning, sitting back and taking in the way Ugandans handle situations. For example in the social work office, various patients and watching the way children are raised. If there was one thing I could I guess “contribute” to the people I have seen would be the gift and opportunity of education so that women especially, for me the ones in the nutrition and VVF wards can feel empowered and gain skills in confidence that can help them in child rearing and their own personal growth.