DJE's blog

The Physical Exam... the patient is a bit weak

DJE — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 10:41:41 -0400

The autoclave (steamer for sterilizing surgical instruments) is broken at Msazi Mmoja, so I spent the morning with 3 cuban doctors and the good Dr. Muhammed the medical officer (something like a physicians associate) who is in charge of the women's medical floor.

The floor is really just one large...

Pongwe, Mellisa arrives and the miracle of Birth

DJE — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:05:55 -0400

We spent last weekend out at Pongwe, one of the dopest beaches in the world, white sand, endless in both directions, crabs running around and waves crashing on the outer sandbars. Our friend Mosses, we are staying with his father, the incredible Dr. Duchi in Stonetown, has a small collection of beach...

Masi Mmoja Hospital

DJE — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 09:05:51 -0400

The hospital in Stone Town is set just south-east from the old part of town, Shangani. As we (sara, mellisa and i), live right in Shangani its an easy walk every morning through the narrow alley ways and past the old sultan's palace. The eight hospital buildings are set right on the ocean, with...

"...then I'll take her to Zanzibar"

DJE — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 10:17:55 -0400

We arrived on Sunday, after taking a ferry over from Dar (Molly, for the recored it took 3 hours). The ferry was interesting on its own, full way beyond capacity, and everyone slept for almost the whole trip, just passed out cold anyway they could find room, on floors, on ralings, underneath benches...

Killer bees, no really

DJE — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:49:01 -0400

A young girl was rushed from emergency to the ICU yesterday after being attacked by african killer bees two days ago. She was at a picnic with her family when their soccer ball disturbed the hive, two adults died on the spot from anaphylactic shock and two more adults are in the hospital now with...

Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and the Dutch

DJE — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 04:45:36 -0400

Why does the leopard have spots? Why does the elephant have such a long nose? Why are the Dutch such assholes?

Zebras cornered the stripe market, shortage of straws in east africa, and you would be too if your national cuisine peaked with pea soup, boiled everything and the worst licorice on...

Thunderstorms, Recovery and Pin numbers

DJE — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:27:39 -0400

Yesterday, following the slow accumulation of death in our ICU and general realization that even with the best care we can offer many of our patients were not going to make, we (L from Claremont, Neil from Sloan Kettering) headed out for some of best Indian food I've had since Punjabi Dabi RIC in Inman...

Life and Death in Mwanza

DJE — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 05:13:27 -0400

I spent the first two days in Orthopedic Surgery here at Bugando hospital, but my contact/minder has left for Dar es Salaam, and I was bored by bones pretty quickly, additionaly, everything and everyone here develops infections, so it was revision after revision, of nasty pus dripping bones, and I'll...

I'll see your 200 tsh for a Mango and raise you 100

DJE — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:37:08 -0400

Today was awesome. Two pedi-ortho cases this am, then off to the market to buy a cellphone -cheap, really easy to do, and I can call the US with it, double sweet.

Then some food shopping, I'm too picky of an eater to really do this so I end up just buying whine and fruit juice, which they have an...

Tanzania 1, Senegal 0

DJE — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:25:24 -0400

Saturday's entertaiment, besides watching Borat, involved packing into the the Mwanza football stadium to watch the Tanzania National team take down the much higher ranked Senegal National team. The place was packed, even the president was there.

Entertainment during half time included two guys on...

Non-profits, US-AID and pretty good Indian food

DJE — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 06:13:58 -0400

Went out to dinner last night with Nzuki, his amazing wife Makurdi. Went to Tilapia, where all the ex-patriots in town congregate. Tin and gold miners from Australia and New Zeeland, a young woman from Denmark who runs two nightclubs in town, a bunch of bright red germans on the safari circuit and...

Ah my friend... you are the Daniel

DJE — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:10:17 -0400

In Tanzania you are never alone, because everyone is your friend. I've fallen into it as well, actually really like the habit.

So, this morning, getting on the plane to Mwanza from Dar es Salaam the Air Tanzania folks printed my name on the ticket as Olfante Mitake, pretty close. No one, including...

Touch Down in Dar es Salaam, wearing my bright green crocks

DJE — Thu, 31 May 2007 11:35:25 -0400

The surprise of the last 24 hours was how easy it was. International travel has become a formulated and highly standardized process. The only screw-up in the whole adventure (if something this easy and smooth, and wrapped in commerce, can still be called an adventure) was the Yale minibus, which was...

From Pete on Zanzibar

DJE — Wed, 30 May 2007 00:18:16 -0400

Damien,
Great to see you this past weekend. I just thought I would send you some invaluable info about things to do and see while you are in East Africa. I know that you mentioned that you aren't necessarily planning to do a safari, and I can appreciate that, but I would consider doing it to see...

Tanzania

DJE — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 20:34:33 -0400

Heading to Tanzania on May 30, first to

Weill Bugando University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 1464, Mwanza, TANZANIA

I'll be there two weeks, which is on the the southern border of lake victoria.

Then to Mnazi Mmoja Hospital Zanzibar for four weeks, to do some surgery, swim in the...