Hello all,

Sorry for the delay in my blog,the internet is much harder to access here in Dar but we have finally found a lovely little place on the slipway which has decent internet and very cheap!It also has beautiful views over the water,little shops and cafes all selling lovely food!Only a ten minute taxi ride from our house it is well worth the 2 pounds fare.

The work is going well,I decided to spend all my time in the ED to save the hassle of arranging moving departments and to enjoy part of the day in an air conditioned room!I've seen many different cases but mostly road traffic accidents and lots of sick children are referred from other hospitals each day.Thursday I encountered my first mental health patient and having worked in mental health in England was shocked at the way she was treated.With anyone in Tanzania who has mental health problems the family are the ones who restrain the patient not the hospital staff and they are responsible for bring them into the ED where they take a history and the family take them to the psych ward.As I arrived in the enterance of the ED (after going to investigate the screaming) I found a lady laying in the middle of the floor with her hands and legs tied together with rope and the family enduring being hit and spat at by the patient.When I spoke to the nurse she explained that they have no training to deal with patients who are aggressive and as the ambulance wasnt working that day (we had wondered why we hadnt yet had any patients!) they were unsure how they were going to move her to the ward-it was some time later that we got her in a wheel chair and took her to along to the psych ward.After booking her in we had a look around (I was interested to compare to England) it appears the illnesses are very similar to in the UK and some of the medication is also the same but looking at the ward there is a huge difference!20 beds in a room in 2 lines with little more than a mattress for each patient,there is a female and male ward for patients with accute illnesses.I was pleased I had cancelled my week of working on this ward as there is no security such as panic alarms that I am used to in the UK!All patients spend the day in this one room and at times are allowed out into a court yard to play football or watch tv...it was enough to make a person depressed!But this is africa and the although the conditions are much worse the staff work hard and do their best.

Life outside work has consisted of alot of lazy days spent inside the house this week as we had 3 solid days of rains...monsoon rain that prevented us from even being able to take a taxi somewhere!However with the rain also came a break in the heat and it droppped to 30 degrees for 2 days which was just lovely!On sunny days we make use of the pool and wonder up the road to the local supermarke or cafe which to my delight we found plays english films when we go in there on a widescreen tv!Not that i'm missing tv!!!

One more week of work left here in Dar then i'm off to Zanzibar with Catherine for a week of village life!The time is passing quickly and I will soon be on my way home-back to the land of normal toilets,no power cuts and not needing to wear suncream and Deet every minute of the day!Oh and i'm looking forward to having a shower in water that isn't brown!

Kew heri xxx