Deserted times

Karen, with her developing Adventist relationships was spirited away as driver and clinician manqué to a far flung outpost of this particular Adventist empire, allegedly by a lake but in actuality some 2 hours away to see Ethiopian primary care (in the private sector) in all its glory leaving me to be on call here (I am now in my 5th. Day as sho/reg/consultant/ making life and death decisions like, do you give a pint of blood now or in the morning (now, you never know about the fridge) and intermittently doing caesarean sections, usually in the wee small hours. My suspicions about now operating on the Gimbie middle classes was heightened by observing some quite up market and unadventist like ear rings (Adventists do not do body piercing I am told) on the lady in question and by the fact that she brought her own surprisingly clean sheets. I am tempted to put in a bill. Further down the ward however is a tall thin very dark tribal looking lady with lots of ‘cosmetic scars’ and a completely broken down and smelly perineum, the result of many days in labour and a dead baby. When I stood her up to take her to the labour bed to have a better look I was alarmed by the passage of much urine but hope, following catheterisation that this may be retention rather than a fistula. It is going to take a long time to heal though and I do hope that the ward will try and keep it clean for her. She did not come with any sort of voucher that I could see so I wonder who will pick up the tab. I understand that having a faranji at your wedding, or more probably a faranji car in the hooting procession which has resulted in invitations to the weddings of those who I do not know but may have something to do with the hospital. The last one had a rather friendly looking sheep being lead into the kitchen and shortly after bits of raw meat being served though no piteous baahing noises, never the less all slightly disturbing to ones karma.
Both chickens currently have the ovine equivalent of phantom pregnancies and sit around on empty boxes trying to starve themselves to death. Being on the ground at night also puts them at risk of being supper to some passing carnivore so we are having to do aversion therapy, which Karen regards as pet abuse, but like children, with distraction they will recover, but they sure are being tedious( and eggless) at the moment.
With the late return of my oppo last night I came off duty and was able to (a) have an alcoholic drink and (b) enjoy an Ethiopian style Aromatic crispy fried duck served with Pimms. Our faranji guest enjoyed it immensely but the Ethiopian leader of the pack stayed away, preferring beer and raw meat in the Green Bar. I suspect that in some typically Ethiopianly undefined way we have upset him sohe has taken the hump. Is it being too friendly with Adventists, saying harsh things about him (which I do not think we have) to English maternity world wide Wallahs, who have been here in profusion and asking difficult questions or just staff troubles? It may of course be that all the stresses of living in Gimbie and sparring with Adventists far away from the family are taking their toll, but this has now prompted another trip to Addis and on to see if there are things to do in the East – closer to Addis me thinks. Another all expenses trip from Denmark is in the air so perhaps changes are a foot. They most certainly are in the hospital with the arrival of various missionary doctors to fill various roles and the imminent (but I suspect as yet unannounced) departure of Paul and his replacement by Austin of the long and platted statement beard. He it seems is developing a relationship with another young Adventist who might make life even more frugal and religiose. She remarked that drinking wine was deeply offensive to Adventists when we were in a restaurant with her, glass of wine in hand…bit of a conversation stopper that.

I am currently feeling a bit of a heel as I have said no both to a wedding and, which is what they really want, use of the car. If they were to crash it who pays and anyway you do not just lend it to anyone – weddings anyway are usually associated with excess alcohol consumption. Rather sulky faces but there we go. Probably a bit of loss of co-operation too but livable with. It is probably not unrelated to the various cars being out of town what with visits to the east and collection of Adventist doctors etc.
It is interesting to note how various obstetric crises now have a ‘developing world’ predictability as despite being off callthe message did not get through and 04.30 hours brought yet another obstructed brow and this morning the baby still has an odd posture but is doing O.K. Another little lesson for local gynaecolgisti was that removal of a large pedunculated fibroid on a stalk in an infertile woman does not require hysterectomy, just some gentle twisting and they are all delighted. I am constantly being hugged by a lady of some voluptuousness as having lost her wages we have bailed her out (despite our strict rules) and she is now about to become karen’s translator and may help in our quest for cervical cancer patients.
So hopefully now avoiding weddings, a day to our selves.