I’ve been having a fairly depressing time since returning to Scotland from Uganda – the weather in January was miserable, it’s been a little overwhelming to reacquaint myself with old friends, life is very over-regulated, and returning to work in the NHS hasn’t been easy. However, on Saturday I found myself saying, for the first time in six weeks, “I’m glad to be here today!”
I was standing on top of a mountain at the time, Carn Gorm, north of Loch Tay and Ben Lawyers. The weather was fantastic – sunshine, crisp coldness, no wind – and as a bonus the only clouds were in the surrounding area, with temperature inversion causing only the tops of the other big mountains to show through. It was glorious, the early start totally worthwhile, and the prospect of three more mountains to climb during a circular walk turned the whole thing into a fantastic day out. This is definitely one of my favourite things about living in Scotland. On the right day, being able to get out of the city and up a big mountain within a couple of hours is unbeatable.
Rather than moaning about the last six weeks (which is also one reason why I haven’t posted recently), I’ll try to focus on the positives! I may have been less than enthusiastic about the weather, but the comparison between the constant dry, sunny, 28oC of the Ugandan dry season in December and early January, and the wet, cold, windy, darkness that greeted me for the whole of the rest of the month, was difficult to ignore. Fortunately February has been more than making up for it. It’s been mostly dry, cold but bright, and the days are noticeably getting longer. In fact this week I’ve been cycling to and from work in daylight.
It’s been good to get back together with friends, all of whom have been fabulously interested in what I’ve been doing over the last year. Kiwoko Hospital has been a great place to live and work, and the people there are frequently in my thoughts. It’s been superb to relive many memories of the year as I’ve had various dinner parties, short presentations and catch-up chats, often accompanied by brief photo-sessions. I hope that I’m opening people’s minds to how a good proportion of the world lives, something not often greatly realised by people in the West. I’ve also been very gratified by the number of Ugandans who have been in touch. A number of the nursing staff (male and female!) have been in touch by email and texts, and I’ve spoken with my former housekeepers several times, keeping in touch with what’s happening in their lives. I also have one former hospital staff member (currently studying in Belfast) coming to visit next month, which I’m looking forward to enormously.
Working in the NHS again hasn’t been the most pleasurable experience, although things are getting better as I settle in. From being my own boss, solely responsible for my own patients, I now have to work for five different consultant surgeons, sharing responsibility with four other middle grade doctors, and supervising a number of more junior doctors. It isn’t helped by the type of surgery I’m doing just now – there was hardly any need for vascular surgery (arteries & veins) in Uganda, and I haven’t worked in the specialty for several years. It’s an odd experience from being the most experienced General Surgeon in a hospital to being unsure of how to manage most things because my knowledge is a few years out of date and from a different hospital setting. Add to that the fact that most of my patients are old with multiple other illnesses to manage (almost none of them encountered in the last year!), and I’ve been feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Still, a fortnight in, I’m starting to understand the system, and am trying hard not to harbour thoughts of putting most of my patients out to pasture!
One thing that has been good is the amount of surplus equipment and consumables that I’ve been able to collect – things that can’t be used in the NHS for whatever reason, but that can be used time and time again in a Developing World hospital – and which I’m hoping to take out to Kiwoko when I next visit, possibly at some point in the next few months.
Anyway, if I haven’t managed to catch up with you personally yet, get in touch – what are you waiting for? If you think you might be able to help Kiwoko Hospital in any way, get in touch! If I can offer any assistance to anyone thinking of going to Uganda, get in touch! I’m told that the real depression is going to hit about three months after getting back here... that means I’ve about six weeks to go!
God bless,
Steve
