Leaps of Progress!

Since I arrived in Blantyre on May 16th, and started working at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital I have waited for this day. Pretty much every week since I got here the answer to my question about finishing our High Dependency Unit has been: "Next week". FINALLY! Tomorrow morning (yes it is a Sunday) we are finalizing the HDU and we will during the day receive our first patients. The reason we choose to open on a Sunday is because we have developed preoperative checklists and guidelines. As of now, there are no uniform routines or stationary at the hospital so all units have their own set up. Also, there are no preoperative routines... kind of. The only routine the units have before sending patients to Theatre is to provide an IV line. No washing, preoperative fasting routines or pain medication. We want to make sure our patients are well prepared for surgery so that they have a stable blood sugar postoperatively, starting pain medication already before surgery and that they are clean and properly washed to prevent infection. The wards send all their patients going for surgery to the OR in the morning, no matter what time their surgery is planned to happen. So a 3 months old baby can fast all day for a surgery taking place at 3pm. While they are waiting for their turn they are sitting with their mothers in a corridor which in summer is very warm and in winter very cold. If we can improve at least a few of these conditions for these patients I will be a happy nurse... Wish us luck!