Gambia August 2010: Further Developments

Hi All! Hot on the heels of our last blog comes this one! Its the start of the working week here!
Last Thursday was the second time we went onto the wards. The pictures below indicate the type of cases present there. We visited the patients that had been scheduled for amputation. In one poor ladies case it was her second leg amputation at only 56 years of age. What future for her we wondered?

One of the next ladies we saw (4 in total & 3 gentlemen) wasn't scheduled for amputation but had just been admitted in a very poor state and was being attended to by her daughter.

We then proceeded onto the men's ward to be presented with a foot that had been surgically debrided. We discussed appropriate management with the local team who were hopeful that it would resolve but unfortunately it seemed that an amputation would be the best option.This is a picture of that foot, clearly visible were tendons & bone right down to calcaneum level! It would have needed more than just good wound healing practice.

The equipment and dressing practice was better this time, Ros had said. The local staff manage very well with limited equipment and supplies. More resources would clearly improve the care they could deliver.

Moving away from the hospital back to our hotel we make no apologies for including some 'light relief' shots after the serious business of the wards!
Here are some shots of the grounds and fellow guests at the hotel - a clue - some don't sleep in the rooms! We hope you enjoy them!