Hoima 2018

Gillian and I are wrapping up our two week placement in Hoima Regional Referral Hospital. This hospital receives people from many small public hospitals, making it a bustling hub, with a diverse range of labour and birth stories. We have had a drastic learning curve, adjusting to a completely different environment, with each day presenting itself with unique challenges, emotional rollercoasters and learning opportunities. Every feeling imaginable we have gone through, twice, and we have learned so much from our supervisors, our colleagues and most of all, our mamas.
It is difficult to put this experience into words.

On our second last day on the ward,  Gillian anf I were working side by side in one of our delivery rooms. We had two mothers bring their babies into this world almost simultaneously. We felt so blessed to be present for these women, and to be along side them as they met their two beautiful, healthy babies for the first time!

During these two weeks, we have worked closely with the hospital care providers, as well as the many nursing and medical students. We have exchanged knowledge regarding normal birth, as well as the management of obstetric emergencies. A portion of our time here was dedicated to education, so, with Cathy and Mickey, we held sessions on normal delivery, third stage management, postpartum hemorrhage, and sepsis. In addition to these workshops at the hospital, one afternoon we were fortunate enough to visit a local girls school and provide information about sexual health. This was definitely a highlight for us!

We head to Masaka next week, where our amazing classmates have already been hard at work! We are sad to leave this hospital as we are finally feeling settled, and will miss the people we have met, but are excited and optimistic about what's to come!