“I wish you could see the hospital.”

– Dr. Sam Meja, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, 3 months ago

Our internship started 3 weeks ago formally. For me, it’s been on my mind since my conversation with Dr. Meja and Dr. Kommwa 4 months ago. This last semester, my team and I were making a pneumatic compression device meant to be used by patients after surgeries, and during the design process, we talked with two doctors in Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) to get a better idea of who we were designing our device for. Sitting half a world away, we were trying to figure out what the hospital was like:

• How much space did they have?
• What kind of technology were the nurses most familiar with?
• How long did power outages last for?
• What chemicals were used to clean devices moved from patient to patient?

Our questions went on, but midway through our conversation, Dr. Meja pointed out that it’d be so much better if we could actually be at the hospital, speaking with nurses, patients, and physicians, seeing patient rooms, and getting a real idea of who we were working for.

Four months ago, I knew where I wanted to be this summer. Three months ago, I applied to this internship, hopeful. Today, I sit a two minute walk away from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, and I’m looking forward to talking to Dr. Meja and Dr. Kommwa in person!