That Was The Week That Was !

It one week today since I flew back in to Gambia and it seems like a moment in time! I can’t begin to describe just how fast the time has gone. There have been four projects on the go the whole time, that is if you do not include things like repairing the oxygen concentrators that I brought parts out for.

One at least reaches its conclusion tomorrow with the fumigating of the new operating theatre suit! Quite a milestone in the story of Bansang Hospital and quite a remarkable achievement by Anita Smith MBE, in single handedly raising the money necessary to bring it to fruition. A mention must of course also go to the guys of the Hospital Maintenance team for their efforts in building, tiling and generally doing the work. OK, it may have run over budget slightly and taken a little longer than was originally planned, but we got there in the end and the final job looks fantastic. Well Done to you all.

Secondary to this has been the week long saga of getting Anita’s house ship-shape for her return in a couple of weeks time. Most of the ceilings have had to come down due to damaged caused by termites. This we were assured it would only take two days…four days later we have one room almost completed ! It’s a good job I’m used to camping and Tanya is very easy going…. Allegedly they will complete the task tomorrow but I’m not betting on it. And now tonight just to add to the misery, I open one of the doors... and it fell off... the frame eaten through by the termites, Oh Joy! More mess!

Then of course there has been the prime reason that I am here at all; the paediatric ward rebuild/refurbishment. Work has cracked on all week at a pleasantly surprising pace. All the drains and plumbing at the top end of the ward, the ceiling is down as far as it needs to be. The concrete between ward and boundary wall is also completed to the halfway point. Tomorrow sees the demolition of the wall of the first bay of the four that have to come down and hopefully the start of the new foundations for the rebuild…. Phew!

Add into that things like trying to work out a solution to the bat problem at the Mite House, getting the final couple of jobs done in Audiology and of course the aforementioned oxygen concentrators and I feel that my week has been reasonably fruitfull!

Tonight Tanya and I are off to Dinner with Sulayman and Mariama at their compound. Having dined with them a couple of time before I am really looking forward to it… that is if Tanya shows up soon as we are supposed to be there at 8pm and she is still over at the SEN school using their internet as I type….