By Emma Finn, Sharon Finn and Aoife Murtagh
Dec 30, 2015
By Emma Finn, Sharon Finn and Aoife Murtagh
Aims of PresentationOutline our service learning site.
Our planning process
How we funded the project
Our service learning experience
Healthcare provided in Zambia
Zambia is a large land-locked country in Southern Africa.
Population 12.9 million (US Department of State)
Median age of just 16years.Climate: Dry season &
Rainy SeasonMpongwe is an isolated
village in the copperbelt region.
Mpongwe Mission Hospital100 beds
Female, Male, Paediatrics and Maternity wards.
Outreach Community Clinics
ART Clinics, Outpatients Dept, Dental Therapist, Doctors Clinics, Major and minor Theatre, TB unit, Malnutrition unit, Neonatal unit.
The Planning ProcessReasons for choosing Mpongwe:To gain a broader insight to illnesses and
treatment in Africa in a hospital as opposed to a hospice.
We liked the idea of working in a remote area.
Getting Started…• Making contact with our service learning site.• Getting fundraising ideas.• Booking flights.• Getting Vaccinations • Checking passports. • Looking up relevant information on Zambia
and illnesses• Finding information on the Irish embassy in
Zambia etc.
In total we brought over €12,500.Pharmacy and lab supplies, Oxygen cylinder, a glucometer for each ward, Cleaning products, kettles, bins, stationary.
We each did our own fundraising and have different experiences.
Planning Difficulties, Concerns and Advice
Contacting our link person.
Obtaining a permit.Fundraising without a
charity name.Passport office strikes.Flight cancellations -
Volcanic Ash.Fundraising interfering
with exam studies.Difficulties keeping
motivated.
• Have events advertised in the local paper and at mass.
• Get your name in early for bag packing.
• Try to finish fundraising early as it can take priority over exams.
• Use your contacts and Clubs.
• Consider having t-shirts printed
Service Learning Experience
First Impressions:On arrival:
heat, poverty, local people, armed military
presence, road safety.
Service learning site: people on sides of roads, dawn and dusk, insects, housing, isolated, dirt tracks.
Thoughts/ExpectationsPleasantly surprised:
people, building boom.
Hospital:Better fundedHygiene- hand
washing, lack of running water
Beautiful scenery
Expected less bugs and lizards.
Differences in Health Care SystemsFunded by non-governmental organisations.
No sick benefits.
Less standardised- lack of policies and procedures.
Involvement of patients families- “Bedsiders”.
Lack of available medicines in Zambian hospitals.
Less autonomy in patient care (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009).
Outline of the clinical speciality Male, female, paediatric and maternity wardsART clinics provided for those with HIV/AIDSTook turns working in each areaLearned basics about each specialityOutreach was most beneficial
Languages and cultural differences
Languages Spoken: Lamba and BembaGreetings: Muli Shyani/Mutende MwuaneClapping and genuflecting for respectCustomary to call to peoples houses.Forward and honest peopleLaid back attitudeDress codeReligious people
Main Areas of Learning
Importance of CD4 count in HIV patients
Importance of feeding malnourished children only the Nutriset formula (International Malnutrition Task Force)
Non verbal communication skills
Interesting/Shocking/Exciting Aspects
Lack of resources and improvisation Optimistic outlook on lifeSuperstitionsLack of privacy and confidentialityHygiene, wound care, T.B. patients not
isolatedSurgeries, snake bitesOutreach-going into the unknownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK8vFUgbPnE
Recommendations for Studentso Bring; Appropriate
Clothing Torches, batteries,
candles Solar Shower Music, board
games, portable DVD player…
Sun cream, Mossie repellent
Toys Alcohol Hand
wash
o Do;Get a VISA credit
cardGet only necessary
vaccinations & anti-malarias
Make friendsTravelContact us for
more information!
Suggested Reading List
Visit Tropical Medical Bureau on www.tmb.ieDepartment of Foreign Affairs www.dfa.ieIrish Embassy in Zambia www.embassy
-finder.com/ireland_in_lusaka_zambiaCulture and Customs of Zambia by Scott D.
Taylor.Zambia & Malawi - The Lonely Planet Book
Reference List
Beauchamp, T.L. & Childress, J.F. (2009) Principles of Biomedical Ethics. 6th edn. New York: Oxford University Press.
International Malnutrition Task Force, http://imtf.org/_uploads/wallchart-10-steps.doc Accessed on 5/10/2010.
Masiye, F. (2007) Investigating health system performance: An application of data envelopment analysis to Zambian hospitals. BMC Health Services Research 2007. 7:58.
US Department of State Website (2010), Bureau of African Affairs, http://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/za/ Accessed on 5/10/2010.