Nkhoma CCAP Hospital

 “I believe the Lord helps those who have set out to do great things for His sake

and He never fails those who trust in Him alone…”

St. Teresa of Avila

 

African Killer Bees

Killer Bees in the backyard!

One of the night guards put his flashlight on a giant beehive on one of the backyard trees.  How long had the hive been there?  I didn’t know.  They are quite dangerous.  Pet dogs have been killed by them.  This was a problem bigger than me. I put out the alert by calling members of our small mission community.  A chain reaction began with one person talking to another and soon the hive was gone.

 

 

Guardians

There are no such things as “visiting hours” in developing world hospitals.

A family member, or “guardian” is always required to be at the bedside in the hospital with their loved ones.  They are required to help with physical needs including food and water.  There is no food service. 

 

Guardian Sleep Area

 

Guardian on Cellphone

Medical Stuff:  Changes in my practice

How is it different?  Back home, I’m addicted to CT scans, daily CXRs, and daily lab tests.  Not in these places. There’s no CT scanner.  The patients are poor.  Plus, I’m hesitant to order extra tests that they can’t pay for.  I rely more on the basics: history and physical examination.  Treatment of cancer is often delayed because pathology results can take up to 6 weeks to get back. 

 

“What’s with that?”  I am put in my place.

When I was at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya, I had dinner at the home of Dr. Will Caire, his wife Allison and their 4 children.  The Caires are veteran missionaries with the Christian Health Service Corps.   

I complained to them.  Here I was, a US citizen working in Kenya, while there were many Kenyan physicians working back in the USA.  “What’s with that?” I asked.  Dr. Caire stopped, took a breath, and reminded me: “That’s because you’re here for a different reason than they are over there.”  

 

Children's Table

 

I forgot.  Absolutely right!  We’re here for God, trying to do great things for His sake.  And thank God for all the support that is sent our way from people back home.  It couldn’t be done otherwise. 

Everyone has their own unique part to play.

 

Nkhoma

“Go courageously to God along the way He has traced out for you,
steadfastly embracing the means that He offers you.”

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Nkhoma
I’ve now moved south to Malawi. I’m working at the Nkhoma Mission Hospital. The hospital is quite rural. Farms are everywhere. Lots of chickens and goats running freely through the town; cows and donkeys too. They grow maize, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, onions, carrots and tomatoes.
There are monkeys in the trees but there are fewer of them, because there are fewer trees. Monkeys don’t bother me anymore. They really are just “big squirrels”.
The ground is quite rocky and there are lots of hills. When it gets dark, I really need my flashlight.
My iPhone’s light works well.


The Nkhoma Mission Hospital: The “Brick Hospital”
My nickname for Nkhoma hospital is the “Brick Hospital” because brick is all I see. Every building is made of brick. Brick is also the favorite building material in most buildings in town as well as the farm houses. It functions as a District Hospital. It has 250-beds and provides outpatient and inpatient services in surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics and adult medicine.

Nkhoma is located in central Malawi. It’s an hour’s drive east of Lilongwe, the capital. Lake Malawi is another two-hour drive east. Nkhoma is part of the rugged Dedza Mountain Range running north and south in Central Malawi. This is winter and dry season, so things are a bit brown. Besides English, Chichewa is the local language. It commonly spoken in southeastern Africa.

Puppies for sale: on the street! 

Along the roads in Lilongwe, puppies are held up for sale as pets. Cats too.
I’ve been told that it’s illegal but you know how that goes. They are hard to resist. The puppies are so cute! But I have to be realistic. 

 

“Mice-On-A-Stick” for sale: on the street!
I couldn’t believe it when I saw it. On the country roads, children hold up their ‘mice-sticks’ for sale to passing cars. This is yet another food I am not curious about. My kitty-cat back home would love them! Fine. But I am not bringing them home!

Nkhoma Mountain
Nkhoma Mountain throws its massive shadow over Nkhoma town at sunset. The mountain dominates the northern horizon. It’s huge, stark, rocky and beautiful. My daily workout is climbing up the trails that lead to the top. I don’t think that I’ll actually ever actually go to the top. It’s a long way and the last major stretch is so steep that it requires all 4 of our extremities to get there. The last thing I need is to fall off that mountain during an afternoon climb. Still, I keep venturing further, higher and higher.
One of the missionaries put a big white cross on one of the ‘sub-mountain’ peaks, and it is plainly visible for miles around.