Frankenstein:

What do you get when hundreds of organizations and various groups with good intentions try to provide aid to hospitals in a developing country?

You get a Frankenstein of some sort. Recently, I went through the hospital storage unit to take measurements of the IV bags used here. I realized that most of the IV bags are donated and are from many different manufacturers. Also, there is no primary type of IV fluid they use for their patients here. They use what they get.

The IV bag measurements I had to make were for a Rice design team back at home. Currently they are busy making final touches to their solution, called IV DRIP, which aims to alleviate the problem of over-hydration in IV therapy. Hospitals here do not have the resources to accurately regulate the amount of fluids administered to a patient. Unfortunately, over-hydration leads to severe complications and death. The case is especially dire for pediatric patients. Most IV fluids are donated and the most commonly available 1L bags are not suitable for children.

Clinicians and nurses here are often reluctant to administer IV fluids because of the constant vigilance and rough estimation needed to provide IV therapy. IV DRIP is a simple, low-cost, mechanical, automatic volume regulator for IV therapy to improve care for pediatric patients in the developing world. (Credit IV DRIP team) The team needs IV bag measurements because of the challenges the Frankenstein of medical aid brings to the problem. The solution must work around the fact that one patient might be using a certain brand of IV fluid and the next will be using another.

The short time I have spent in Malawi has shown me the failures and shortcomings of international aid particularly in healthcare. It’s almost disheartening. From the start of this trip the Malawians have treated us very warmly. They understand we are here to help and genuinely appreciate our efforts. But even though they try to hide it, being courteous as always, I see skepticism in many of the health care workers here. I don’t blame them. Hundreds of volunteers cycle through the country every month, leaving donations and charity that provide immense relief to the system. However, this relief is almost always short lived. Without providing follow up and self-sustainability this relief flickers and dies or leaves a Frankenstein.

There is hope though. Designers of IV DRIP plan to work around disorganized aid. Also, the people we work closely with here at St. Gabriel’s encourage me. The Palliative Care unit almost loyally chooses to use DataPall instead of other available database software because of the follow up we provide. The designers of DataPall really listened to the needs of the unit and created a very customized system that fits the needs of the unit well. As the second round of interns to work on the database, we are providing follow up, and we hope to enable sustainability. The next few weeks we will be building training sessions and manuals for everyday use and troubleshooting of the database.

 

Friends:

The past two weeks have been filled with exploration and friend making. I think these experiences are best told through pictures…

 

 

Last night, we had an amazing dinner at the Grey’s. The evening was filled with good food, drinks, and conversation. Barbecued chicken, steak, and sausage along with so many sides!  Once dinner was served, I let Liz and Hannah do the most of the talking as I inhaled food.

After the dinner we went outside to do some stargazing. I can’t fully explain the experience of seeing the night sky here. The stars blanket the entire sky and the arms of the Milky Way streak across like large brush strokes on a black canvas.

 

“Guys! The curtain’s on fire….GUYS!” – Elizabeth Grace Dunn