Tanzania
Other Years
Spring 2005 - Visit I
Diane Gilmour and I travelled with growing anticipation and excitement, to Tanzania in April.46 Perioperative Nurses from 38 different hospitals were gathered in Dar es Salaam from all around Tanzania for the first visit to the country. We taught the Update course over a week, in a room kindly lent to us by Muhumbili Hospital. It was hot and very humid on the coast and we and the nurses had to concentrate hard to get all the work completed.
We were able to visit the theatres in Muhimbili, but Main Theatres (8) are in the midst of being refurbished and so they had de-canted to emergency theatres and were only functioning as an emergency theatre and in very cramped conditions.
Many clinical issues were raised over the week, and new topics discussed.
We had excellent band of local helpers, Angela and others from Muhimbili, Sophie Ngahyoma from the Ministry who was good enough to spend time with us every day and sorted out many potential organisational issues. Mr Gulamhusein (Salama Pharmaceuticals/ J&J Professional Export distributor) who together with Sophie had organised all the domestic arrangements for hotels and food for the nurses and helped with local cash and business arrangements. We are most grateful for their local knowledge and attention to detail.
All travel, food, per diem and accommodation costs for all the delegates were covered by generous donations from supporters in UK. We are most grateful to Eschmann Ltd, Keymed Ltd and B Braun Medical Ltd for their support. The course evaluated very well and we are looking forward to the challenge of the next visit.
With encouragement, the nurses had formed a Perioperative Nurses Association, and elected initial leaders, by the end of the week. With continuing support, promised by FoAN, the Tanzanian Theatre Nurses Association will form the basis of a new network for perioperative practice within the country.
Diane was wholly supported by Molnlycke Award to travel to Tanzania, to whom Friends of African Nursing is very grateful. Diane had to work very hard, as it was hot and humid and the days are long. However, with knowledge hungry students, the teaching is very rewarding. Nurses wherever they are (and especially perioperative nurses) are colleagues and we enjoyed a week of new friendships and exchange of knowledge. Thanks therefore completely and sincerely to Diane for a great week of working together and sharing the challenges.