The bloodshed stories

It’s great I have my own bedroom today after some other expatriate left. We finished work today early and returned home at 7:30pm. I had time to unpack my baggage. It’s a nice, tidy room with shower and hot water supply. It’s time for relax after one day hard work. Today our work flow improves and becomes more efficient. We had total 15 cases operated, including three emergencies. One 7 years old boy was admitted for swollen left arm after a fall from a pear tree. We found him having fracture of upper arm. Because of the fracture and blood collected in muscle, it obstructed the blood return from the forearm and hand. We had to lay open the skin and muscle fascia to release the pressure within the muscle. It’s common to have this kind of injuries from falling during the mango season. Another 8 years old girl had a crush injury of her left foot by a motor vehicle. We had to amputate her big toe. Together with another young man admitted in evening with fracture left thigh and pelvis, we had two cases admitted because of road traffic accidents today. It’s not unusual if you see the busy traffic here and the way men and vehicles competing for the road use. The third one is an old gun shot wound injury on right shoulder with the whole shoulder joint almost completely gone. He was admitted with abscess in the shoulder. At first Patrick, one of the American orthopaedic surgeons, asked me to incise and drain the pus. It looked superficial collection. Later, James, the other surgeon came and helped. There was no new X-ray available. I suggested him to cut deeper for any dead bone remained which might cause the infection. He did find a piece of welding bullet left. James shared this with Patrick. I’m glad that I can gain their confidence. I’m sorry I do not have many interesting stories to tell except bloodshed one, because Teme Hospital is a trauma center. This morning I found one of our expatriate girls running outside the compound. She told me running is allowed on a defined route around the compound. It’s better for two running together. Unfortunately, she is leaving tomorrow. I said before that I could not run in this month because of security reason. But now it is not. It’s because I come home late. We cannot run outside guesthouse in the dark.