With the exemption process back on track but a week to wait before the first shipment finished with customs, Emily and I did a site visit to Tumu District Hospital, another hospital in north-west Ghana. There, we met with the hospital’s Administrator and Procurement’s Officer, took a tour of the hospital, and explained the process of partnering with MedPLUS.
Site Visit at Tumu District Hospital
Taking a Tour of the Tumu District Hospital
After returning to Lawra for a night, we headed back to Wa, the regional capital, to meet with the Regional Director of Health Services, make a much-needed visit to an ATM, and buy some fruit. At one point in our trip to Wa, our tro-tro engine was smoking so badly that I literally made Emily pry open the back window a little to see if we could jump out the window if necessary (mom- I hope you’re not reading this and freaking out).
Back in Lawra, we prepped the staff for the arrival of the shipment, distributed unpacking lists, and spoke to the electrician about the transformers and adaptors that must be matched with each piece of medical equipment. Walking to the store room on the day before the shipment’s arrival, I was greeted by something strange in the OPD waiting area—silence. I turned the corner and saw everyone’s necks craning toward the small TV mounted above the pharmacy, the usual chatter of waiting patients and crying of children absolutely silenced. On the screen was not a soccer game as I had expected, but a women’s WWF wresting match complete with sparkly outfits and dangerous looking props…oh, globalization!
Emma