No power = No x-rays

October 15, 2009

I prepared to take my first x-ray and had the patient all recorded and then, “Ah! No power!” This is a common enough occurrence in Gulu to be an annoyance. It does not happen all the time, but sometimes it hits at a crucially busy time. This morning, luckily, was not that busy, but the power outage did result in patients having to wait longer than usual for their x-rays. They all laughed when I explained the issue to them, but I could tell from their faces the disappointment. 

I have found that there is a delicate balance to find in accepting things as the way it is, but then also challenging and trying to improve things also. For instance, we can all laugh at the power outage, because in reality, there is nothing to do but laugh. But on the other hand, no power is not conducive to good patient care so I feel like I should be attempting to help solve the problem as well. At what point do issues like these go past being acceptable or tolerable? I feel like so many things have been the way they are for so long that there is a mindset that says things will never be better. However, in healthcare especially, the striving for improvement should always exist. I’m learning so much these days.

All in all the day at work was good. I was in a very good mood and was able to joke around with some colleagues and patients, which always makes me feel more at home. When I got back to the house the girls said that they were thinking Chinese for dinner, and I agreed that it sounded good. I typically don’t like Chinese (at least in America) but figured I’d give it a shot. It turned out to be absolutely delicious, and I was very glad we went there. After dinner we decided to try our luck at quiz night, though it didn’t end in our winning. Darn. It was a fun time spent with some people I hadn’t seen in a while, and I was refreshed by spending that time with them. Not a waste at all.