We are now in Kampala and had an orientation to some of the wards and areas in the hospital yesterday. Cathy and Grace really want to ease us in slowly and not overwhelm us, so we just had a 2 hour orientation yesterday and today we only worked on Ward 14 this morning. So yesterday was a bit overwhelming as we visited the high risk ward where they do about 60 plus deliveries a day. Of course there is no room for all the women needing help and treatment, so the halls are strewn with women lying down on mattresses. There were about 15 women sitting on benches waiting to get assessed and apparently, some labour so quietly they may come to the point of needing to push while sitting there. So the midwives get other women to turn their heads to try to attempt some privacy for the labouring mom and they catch the baby right there. The same goes for the women on the mats on the floor awaiting a bed. Often they need to have their babies before a bed is available and so someone hopefully comes in time to catch the babe. There were about 13 women in the hallway, some with their tops off moaning and groaning in labour, next to other women doing the same. The staff are gracious enough to accept anyone who comes to the door, unfortunately there aren't enough midwives and supplies to provide the standard of care. There are no friends or family allowed in to offer support (there's literally no room for extra people). It's definitely sad, and certainly far from our reality in Canada. We truly are very blessed to have resources we have back home. So anyway, this ward is full of women who have more complications, like high blood pressure, twins, breech babies, anemia, malaria, ruptures membranes etc. Apparently there are about 6 to 7 babes who die on this ward daily and one mom passes on every other day. The services are free here at Mulago hospital and I think this is one of the reasons it's so crowded.
Ward 14, the low risk unit, is where we will spend most of our time while in Kampala. There are between 12 to 30 deliveries per day here. Two of which we had the privilege of attending today. We, Grace, Jan and Lydia, were just finishing up with a birth at one end of the labour ward and there was a woman moaning loudly at the other and so Grace asked us to go assess her. Lydia double gloved, a standard of practice here, and did a vaginal exam to find her fully dilated with a big bag of bulging membranes. Lydia was a bit caught off guard. This was her 5th baby so we knew it would be quick. There was no delivery tray in the room yet so Lydia asked one of the midwives to get one for her. Jan in the meantime, was going to get Grace. Lydia broke the waters and the baby came shortly thereafter. It was overwhelming because we didn't have all that we needed in front of us. It was also frustrating because we could not communicate with this woman. ALthough we have a cheat sheet of words it wasn't practical at the time. All went well medically, the mom and babe were well, and Lydia had her first catch. Our internet minutes are running out. Hope to post more later. - Lydia and Jan
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UBC Students for Global Citizenship
The Midwifery Education Program at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has created a global midwifery placement option for students. This year, two midwifery faculty members and a family physician will accompany the students for part of their practicum and then local midwives, nurses and physicians will continue supervision.
For the past 4 years, UBC Midwifery students have participated in this 6 - 8 week global placement at the end of the 3rd year of their midwifery education. This year Midwifery is pleased to have colleagues from Medicine and Nursing join us.
In these placements students attend births and experience the ways that health care workers deal with normal and difficult births in a low-resource setting. These skills are especially relevant to student accouchers as they prepare to respond to the critical shortage of skilled maternity providers in rural and remote areas of British Columbia. In exchange, students and faculty share ways of practice taught at UBC with the global midwifery community.
Students return energized by their global experience and have a deeper understanding about women’s health issues, women’s rights and birthing practices, and with new friendships across borders.
Uganda. Maternal mortality is high in rural Uganda. Over 510 per 100,000 women die in childbirth. There are few trained attendants to assist women in childbirth, and transportation problems as well as social customs prevent many women from attending health centres and hospitals for deliveries. Those who attend hospitals for delivery often have risk factors and complications rarely seen in Canadian maternity practice.
Students and faculty take donations of gloves, delivery instruments, medication to prevent and treat hemorrhage, and academic articles and books on continuing education topics. Midwifery faculty work in collaboration with local staff to present continuing education topics on maternity subjects requested by the local nurse-midwife managers and medical directors. This year we raised funds to buy supplies for maternity wards and to bring a Ugandan Midwife to B.C. for an educational visit this past April.
For the past 4 years, UBC Midwifery students have participated in this 6 - 8 week global placement at the end of the 3rd year of their midwifery education. This year Midwifery is pleased to have colleagues from Medicine and Nursing join us.
In these placements students attend births and experience the ways that health care workers deal with normal and difficult births in a low-resource setting. These skills are especially relevant to student accouchers as they prepare to respond to the critical shortage of skilled maternity providers in rural and remote areas of British Columbia. In exchange, students and faculty share ways of practice taught at UBC with the global midwifery community.
Students return energized by their global experience and have a deeper understanding about women’s health issues, women’s rights and birthing practices, and with new friendships across borders.
Uganda. Maternal mortality is high in rural Uganda. Over 510 per 100,000 women die in childbirth. There are few trained attendants to assist women in childbirth, and transportation problems as well as social customs prevent many women from attending health centres and hospitals for deliveries. Those who attend hospitals for delivery often have risk factors and complications rarely seen in Canadian maternity practice.
Students and faculty take donations of gloves, delivery instruments, medication to prevent and treat hemorrhage, and academic articles and books on continuing education topics. Midwifery faculty work in collaboration with local staff to present continuing education topics on maternity subjects requested by the local nurse-midwife managers and medical directors. This year we raised funds to buy supplies for maternity wards and to bring a Ugandan Midwife to B.C. for an educational visit this past April.
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6 comments:
wow. Am thinking of you guys. Keep posting...I, for one, am avidly reading.
lots of love,
Ilana
Lydia and friends, your update is encouraging and inspiring and so filled with hope, helping so many people and gaining so much experience....I am so happy for you all.....xxx
Hi Lydia and friends
Great to hear from you, glad to hear you are doing well, and keeping really busy. Looking forward to all future birth events, take care. Gurdava
Jan,
I think I speak for the rest of your family, who I can guess are waiting (not so patiently) for you to post your experiences. We know you are busy an all... but a word or two would be WONDERFUL. We love you lots and miss you. Margie
Hi Jan and crew;
What an experience! Give all those women a mental hug from us moms over here!
God Bless
Deborah
Hey Jan, whats happening, thinking about you guys!
The Floridians
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