Introducing George

George is 14 and is from Congo. He hasn't walked for months, apparently due to developing an abscess in his buttock after injections for malaria. He came to us with terrible pressure area sores over both hips, sacrum, and knees.


But that's just the beginning. His xrays show widespread osteomylitis (bone infection) affecting his pelvis, left arm and thigh, and right foot. Both hips are in such a poor state that they are dislocated. It will take a miracle for this boy to ever walk again. I expect he will be with us for months.

A full ward


Very rarely is my ward completely full like this! 18 admissions in one day as the eye team visit.


The main operations were cataract surgeries, most due to age related changes, but some due to trauma.


Some happy men post-op.

A day of "Paradise"



Dillian is a friend through the sports outreach program and girls camp. She invited me to her church conference (Paradise church) one Sunday.

They had several visiting groups and choirs. Fantastic singing! And check out the way they move...


Congratulations Graduates

Mid-August, we had a graduation ceremony for the 21 new enrolled nurses who passed their final exams last year.


A full house, we used the flight service hangar. This is the students taking their oath with Ruth Wallis, an English nurse who has worked in Zambia for 40 years.


There was much dancing, cheering, and ululating! Here I am with Kamus, who is working with me on Mens Ward.

Another great week of girls camp

August is the month for the annual girls camp, and we had a blast with the 50 girls plus leaders at the camp site by the Zambezi river.


Girls collecting water from the river



The staple diet, nshima with relish. And our 2 fantastic hard working cooks.


Nights of singing and drama around the camp fire. Beautiful singing from dusk to dawn.


Girls doing their hair in their free time.


And mine!


Fun games involving blindfolds.


Bath time at the river.


Goodbye girls, see you next year!

Standing on their own two feet

Bartholemew has been a frequent feature of my blogs... this month he came to collect his prosthetic leg, which will let him walk without crutches for the first time in years.


Chochu is another amputee who benefited from the work of flyspec


Two men awaiting dressing changes. The xray is for the man on the right, who has infected gout.


Diabetes is a neglected health issue in Africa. With good blood sugar control this newly diagnosed diabetic man could probably almost double his weight. I'm currently working out the right dose of insulin for him, the next issue is keeping up supply...


I admitted this family to my ward after learning that the mother and father had both received treatment for TB in Angola for just 2 months in 2008, after which the clinic ran out of medicines. TB should be treated for 6 months, and stopping early can cause a problem of drug resistance. We've restarted treatment, and are screening some of their 9 children!


Singleton on the day of discharge, so excited to be going home, alive, after several months in hospital due to 40% burns.

A new look team!


Thanks to either a stroke of luck or divine intervention, I was donated this full football kit while visiting London. My village ladies team is absolutely over the moon! (Note the ladies footwear in the photo on the right).


Our first scheduled game didn't work out as planned, as the opposition didn't show. But we scrambled some local boys together for a game. The actual kids we played were a bit bigger than the ones pictured on the left!

A slice of civilisation...


I spent 2 weeks in London doing a developing health course with Christian Medical Fellowship. It was a fantastic course and I also got the chance to enjoy some western comforts like pizza and ice cream, but most importantly, FRIENDS! It was so lovely managing to catch up with several friends while I was there and having a bit of a social life!

Hands on learning at the CMF course.