Poisoned

“Quick doctor, there’s an emergency. A girl has been poisoned,” shouted Andrew, one of the nurses at Kakumbi Rural Health Centre. Heath care assistant Helen pushed past him, saying, “I will put up an intravenous line.” “But we don’t have any intravenous fluids, Helen,” I said. “There’s no point. What has she been given?” “Poison,…

Menstrual Hygiene Day

Being an old bloke, I don’t often think about periods. But I have to, and during the course of my work, I have seen some fairly unsavoury methods of dealing with menstruation. However, a local charitable, non-government organisation called Project Luangwa has tackled the problem of sanitary protection in this corner of Zambia and come…

Top and Tail

Headgear for children is very important in Zambia. It makes a statement. But I wonder what their mothers were trying to say? But don’t forget footwear. But for the full effect, check out this fashion victim who features in both sets of photographs above

Giraffes

In Tish Farrell’s latest post, https://tishfarrell.com/2016/06/27/always-there-dont-bank-on-it/#comment-22359 she talks of the massive reduction in giraffe numbers throughout Africa. They are majestic, beautiful creatures. I took this picture earlier this month as the sun was setting over the Luangwa Wafwa.

Mass Deworming

There’s an old joke about a woman who painted her doorstep pink. When asked why she did it, she said that it kept the elephants out of the house. “Elephants? That’s just ridiculous!” replied the questioner and the woman said, “Ah, but you have never seen any elephants in my house, have you?” I have…

Twitching

The best ornithologists identify birds by their call. In the Game Park yesterday morning, D correctly identified that the hissing sound was coming from her rear tyre. We pulled off the main track and D chose a level piece of ground to change the wheel. My birthday present had come early. Two of the most…

Magic Light

“I want your expert advice, doc,” said Nurse Zulu. “Can you see this patient with me? I don’t know what is going on.” The patient was a 15 year old girl who had been complaining of bellyache for the past two weeks. She had been seen last week and given some antacid tablets for indigestion,…

Chipembele Revisited

I could not leave the Valley without having one of Anna and Steve’s famous gin and tonics, watching the sunset over the Luangwa River. With a bit of luck, I would also bump into Douglas the three and a half year old hippopotamus, whom I had met in 2014. Anna met me and the car…

Wency

Wency is famous for his road-side sign just outside the village. “Wency’s Autoworks” in black and white, next to a track which leads into the bush. He was one of the first properly trained local diesel engine mechanics in the Valley. He set up his own business repairing vehicles of all sorts, for people who…

Logo’d Up

This phrase comes from the TV comedy series “The Royle Family”, when baby David is decked out in clothes with fashionable labels. I was reminded of this when doing a mobile children’s clinic in a nearby village. It seemed that all the mothers were competing to present their child in their Sunday best outfits. Of…