M'Bote



Our new home

A cloudy, cold day greeted us as we arrived in the port of Pointe Noire, Congo, but a large, colorful tent was waiting for us in our new home.  A large crowd of dignitaries were waiting to welcome us to this new country.  After all the pomp & circumstances were done, we were able to leave the ship & walk on land for the first time in over 14 days. 



Bill & Don Stevens wait for us on the dock

It was dark when we made our way through the port, a 20 minute walk, to the gate & into town.  Our first impression of Pointe Noire was how different it is from Guinea & other West African countries that we’ve been to.  A beautiful, European-style train station stood at the end of a large boulevard, lined with street lights.  We may have gotten lost, walking the streets of Pointe Noire, but a man gave us directions to a small restaurant.  We headed off in the direction he told us about, only to find him standing on a street corner waiting for us!  He told us that the place he recommended was close & he would show us to another place!  What a nice guy! 

The last two weeks have been spent unpacking, waxing the OR floors (a job that if I ever have to do again will be too soon!), exploring the city & just settling into our new home.  As part of being the OR nurse educator, my job also includes training local OR nurses, in such I needed to get an idea of how things are done here in Congo.  A group of us went to visit some of the local hospitals to get a feel of what healthcare in Congo was really like.  It was an eye opening experience to say the least.  We went to three different hospitals here in Pointe Noire, each time being welcomed with open arms & red carpets.  I was invited to watch a surgery at one of the hospitals & though all went well, I was able to see areas for improvement.  During our time at the local hospitals, we learned that a patient has to provide all their own supplies.  Booths outside the hospital sell IV bags, medicine, suture, dressings, etc.  Before a surgery, a patient has to go out & buy everything he/she might need.  A big cardboard box then follows the patient during their hospital stay filled with all their supplies.  If a patient can’t afford something, they go without.  If a patient needs blood, there may be a blood bank at the hospital, the patient will receive the needed blood, but the next day, his/her entire family will have to come to the hospital & donate blood to replace what was taken.  There is no privacy in the hospitals.  Open wards are the norm, but it goes beyond that.  While visiting a 44 bed pediatric ward we were told that there were 57 patients at that time & it wasn’t uncommon for 7-8 children to be in one bed!  Entire families come to the hospital to care for the sick, as you can imagine, the wards are pretty packed full.

We have been asked by the government to pass on what we can to their nurses here.  In the OR on the ship, I have been given six local nurses, who not only will act as our translators for the next 10 months, but will be my students in my “peri-operative 101” class. 

"Nurses" taking care of the eye "patients"

Flavien leads his blind patient, Ines

Most of these nurses have worked in the OR at various different local hospitals, so they are no strangers to the surgical scene.  My goal is to expand on what they know & modify the western approach to fit the African needs.  A daunting task.  Classes started on the ship last week, with basic information regarding what to wear, the importance of being on time, etc.  We did some role playing with preop check in & leading blind eye patients down the hall.  Surprisingly, this is a new concept for many of them, the act of talking to & asking the patient questions.  It is something that is taken for granted in the Western world.  Patients here often have no rights, they are at the mercy of the doctors & the nurses.  The first thing my nurses told me when I asked about what they have learned is how they liked is how we (as western nurses) treat our patients.  We went on to talk about empathy & the role of the nurse regarding patient safety & who is the most important person during surgery (the patient).  I think this coming year will be rewarding & an eye opening experience for everyone.

Blessings