By Emma Finn, Sharon Finn and Aoife Murtagh

Aims of PresentationOutline our service learning site.

Our planning process

How we funded the project

Our service learning experience

Healthcare provided in Zambia

Zambia is a large land-locked country in Southern Africa.

Population 12.9 million (US Department of State)

Median age of just 16years.Climate: Dry season &

Rainy SeasonMpongwe is an isolated

village in the copperbelt region.

Mpongwe Mission Hospital100 beds

Female, Male, Paediatrics and Maternity wards.

Outreach Community Clinics

ART Clinics, Outpatients Dept, Dental Therapist, Doctors Clinics, Major and minor Theatre, TB unit, Malnutrition unit, Neonatal unit.

The Planning ProcessReasons for choosing Mpongwe:To gain a broader insight to illnesses and

treatment in Africa in a hospital as opposed to a hospice.

We liked the idea of working in a remote area.

Getting Started…• Making contact with our service learning site.• Getting fundraising ideas.• Booking flights.• Getting Vaccinations • Checking passports. • Looking up relevant information on Zambia

and illnesses• Finding information on the Irish embassy in

Zambia etc.

In total we brought over €12,500.Pharmacy and lab supplies, Oxygen cylinder, a glucometer for each ward, Cleaning products, kettles, bins, stationary.

We each did our own fundraising and have different experiences.

Planning Difficulties, Concerns and Advice

Contacting our link person.

Obtaining a permit.Fundraising without a

charity name.Passport office strikes.Flight cancellations -

Volcanic Ash.Fundraising interfering

with exam studies.Difficulties keeping

motivated.

• Have events advertised in the local paper and at mass.

• Get your name in early for bag packing.

• Try to finish fundraising early as it can take priority over exams.

• Use your contacts and Clubs.

• Consider having t-shirts printed

Service Learning Experience

First Impressions:On arrival:

heat, poverty, local people, armed military

presence, road safety.

Service learning site: people on sides of roads, dawn and dusk, insects, housing, isolated, dirt tracks.

Thoughts/ExpectationsPleasantly surprised:

people, building boom.

Hospital:Better fundedHygiene- hand

washing, lack of running water

Beautiful scenery

Expected less bugs and lizards.

Differences in Health Care SystemsFunded by non-governmental organisations.

No sick benefits.

Less standardised- lack of policies and procedures.

Involvement of patients families- “Bedsiders”.

Lack of available medicines in Zambian hospitals.

Less autonomy in patient care (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009).

Outline of the clinical speciality Male, female, paediatric and maternity wardsART clinics provided for those with HIV/AIDSTook turns working in each areaLearned basics about each specialityOutreach was most beneficial

Languages and cultural differences

Languages Spoken: Lamba and BembaGreetings: Muli Shyani/Mutende MwuaneClapping and genuflecting for respectCustomary to call to peoples houses.Forward and honest peopleLaid back attitudeDress codeReligious people

Main Areas of Learning

Importance of CD4 count in HIV patients

Importance of feeding malnourished children only the Nutriset formula (International Malnutrition Task Force)

Non verbal communication skills

Interesting/Shocking/Exciting Aspects

Lack of resources and improvisation Optimistic outlook on lifeSuperstitionsLack of privacy and confidentialityHygiene, wound care, T.B. patients not

isolatedSurgeries, snake bitesOutreach-going into the unknownhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sK8vFUgbPnE

Recommendations for Studentso Bring; Appropriate

Clothing Torches, batteries,

candles Solar Shower Music, board

games, portable DVD player…

Sun cream, Mossie repellent

Toys Alcohol Hand

wash

o Do;Get a VISA credit

cardGet only necessary

vaccinations & anti-malarias

Make friendsTravelContact us for

more information!

Suggested Reading List

Visit Tropical Medical Bureau on www.tmb.ieDepartment of Foreign Affairs www.dfa.ieIrish Embassy in Zambia www.embassy

-finder.com/ireland_in_lusaka_zambiaCulture and Customs of Zambia by Scott D.

Taylor.Zambia & Malawi - The Lonely Planet Book

Reference List

Beauchamp, T.L. & Childress, J.F. (2009) Principles of Biomedical Ethics. 6th edn. New York: Oxford University Press.

International Malnutrition Task Force, http://imtf.org/_uploads/wallchart-10-steps.doc Accessed on 5/10/2010.

Masiye, F. (2007) Investigating health system performance: An application of data envelopment analysis to Zambian hospitals. BMC Health Services Research 2007. 7:58.

US Department of State Website (2010), Bureau of African Affairs, http://www.state.gov/p/af/ci/za/ Accessed on 5/10/2010.