Student Physiotherapists visit SFH

Vivienne Gorman, Hannah Ager, and Emma Lewis
(Physiotherapy students)

October 2006

During this summer Hannah, Emma and I spent 4 weeks in Zambia, predominantly based in Katete. We had been encouraged to go with Heather Godfrey who has worked as a physiotherapist at St Francis for several periods and now returns often with some student physios. For Emma and me it was our first experience of Africa and we all agreed it is a place to which we MUST return to for much much longer!

After a long flight (no less than three stops and 4 plane meals) we arrived safely in Lusaka. With the experience of Heather, who travelled with us, we safely negotiated with the (very keen) taxi drivers and the next day found ourselves on the coach with a mere 6 hour journey to Katete. The coach was busy, crowded and left three hours late, but the journey gave us a chance to view the dramatic landscape and sparsely populated land in Zambia, different from anything I have seen before. Coming from London and Birmingham it was difficult to imagine how people can live in those huts and villages which seem so isolated.

We received a warm welcome in Tikondane Guest House where we stayed, and equally at the hospital where we helped in the physiotherapy department. As physiotherapy students it was a fascinating experience to compare the vast differences between the Zambian healthcare systems and environment and the NHS. More than once we commented on the amazing patience, courage and acceptance shown by the patients. From a professional point of view the different approach to healthcare, such as the justified reluctance to operate on fractures and the numbers of young children attending outpatients, provided great differences in terms of physiotherapy treatments. Luckily the unwearied help and explanations by Anderson (physiotherapist) together with Heather and Faro (physiotherapy assistant) soon enabled us to make a contribution to the department. We were immensely grateful for the chance to develop our own personal skills and knowledge of conditions such as cerebral palsy, and equally to share our ideas with the physiotherapists.

In terms of the hospital wards it was a shock the first time we saw the wards and went on a ward round, but it was also easy to see how hard everyone worked to improve standards and provide the best care possible. The renovated medical wards of St Monica and St Augustine look excellent thanks to the hard work of Paul Splint and his team! The patients will benefit from the light airy wards and it will be easier for the staff in the improved conditions. The staff were very keen for the wards to be in use again and it was easy to see why!

 Throughout our time we were kindly received and accepted by everyone we met, irrespective of nationality or background. This was brilliant and gave us a chance to experience snapshots of the real Zambia, including seeing an initiation ceremony in a nearby village and attending the wedding of Rodgers Mwanza, the trainee accountant at St Francis Hospital. (He is in a wheelchair - no movement in his legs, very limited movement in the arms - and was treated at St Francis’ Hospital about 20 years ago.) With the help of the Zambian ladies working at Tikondane we successfully donned our chitenges (material 3 metres long wound round the waist) and arrived in time to get a taste of the excitement and happy atmosphere before the ceremony began. The dancing down the church aisle and joyful music were brilliant.

We managed to fit in a weekend at Mfuwe in the South Luangwa Park camping amongst the trees and spotting many safari animals, also a few days beside Lake Malawi; both amazing experiences. All too soon it was time to return home, and although I don’t think we dared admit it to our families, I believe there was definitely a small part in each of us which wished we could stay for longer!