Friday, May 27th: Today starts the adventure! Well in reality the adventure started quite a while ago when it was decided that Paul, my sixteen year-old step son, and I would go to Uganda to do site prep for Imaging the World (ITW). I guess before this will make sense, a little background information is needed.
Almost three years ago, I joined the non-profit group called Imaging the World. At that time, I pledged Pegasus as a partner to assist ITW in bringing improved healthcare around the world for the underserved and less fortunate. I will try to quickly encapsulate what ITW does, but is you would like to know more, please view the website (www.ImagingtheWorld.org).
In essence, ITW is bringing a new, sustainable, and very slick model of imaging and imaging training to developing nations. The emphasis is currently on decreasing fetal and maternal mortality and morbidity, but the models address many other health issues including thyroid, renal, gall bladder, and gynecological, imaging with much more to come. 
Because of my background in ultrasound design and electronics, I am a team member in the technical group. Because of my teaching background, I am in the education group, and because of my math and stats background I am in the outcomes group. I also serve on the board and the executive board. In other words, I am an ITW junkie.
Now for a little time warp. Before I can talk about our current venture, I must go back and explain a little more of the past. Last June I went to Uganda for the first time. I was part of the team to do the training (see first pic of yours truly) and deployment for our first clinic. The clinic is in Nawanyago a little less than an hour away (depending on how fast you drive on interconnected holes that pass for roads) from the Kamuli Mission Hospital. The training included some ultrasound students, sonographers, and Catholic nuns who are also nurse midwives.
Once the training was complete at the hospital, we went to the clinic of Nawanyago to deploy the first system. The system consists not only of an ultrasound unit but also a wireless router, a netbook computer, special compression and transmission software, a modem, a signal booster, and various other power stabilizing electronics. Without going into detail (again you can read the website) the basic idea is that the system must be able to compress and transmit loops of ultrasound data across to a PACS system using cell phone internet access. (Maybe someday I will write more about the trials and tribulations of trying to bring up new software and hardware in a remote area of Africa, but for now, I am just trying to lay the groundwork for understanding the current trip.)
In spite of all of the equipment, software, and high tech wizardry, the real success comes from the incredible commitment of the saint-like people who run the clinics. Sr. Angela is one of a few nuns who run the clinic at Nawanyago. As a nurse midwife, she takes care of the birthing as well as tending to all of the sick who come in for treatment. At these clinics there are no doctors. When patients are ill beyond the skill, medicine, and equipment of the clinics, the patients are referred to larger clinics and hospitals. This third picture shows Sr. Angela learning to use an ultrasound machine. (I will tell more about her later as we are planning to go back to the clinic to see her in a few days.)
Perhaps what I will remember more than anything about that first trip are the children. There is tremendous poverty and many needless deaths.
Children frequently die from malaria and dehydration associated with diarrhea. Many children work quite hard in the fields to help their parents put some food on the table. They quite happily call out Mazungu (white person). Last year I brought plenty of candy with me (thanks to my wife’s (Carol’s) planning). The next picture shows some of the school children waiting outside the clinic window waiting for treats. The children are beautiful and very polite. One of the most touching experiences is when the little girls get down on their knees as a sign of respect to accept a gift. If that does not tug at your heart strings, I guess little can. In reality, I spent much of that first trip with a lump in my throat seeing the conditions that so many people have to endure.
While in Kamuli, we learned to appreciate the value of running water and really missed warm water. For the 11 or so days I was there, I believe my room had running cold water perhaps 3 days. I became very used to showering by filling small water bottles from a yellow jerrycan that was filled from a manual water pump daily. On special days, I would treat myself to a “warm shower” by going down to the breakfast table and filling a bottle with hot water intended for morning tea (since I don’t drink tea or coffee I would use my allotment to shower more comfortably). I would then dilute that hot water down with the water from the jerry can to produce a few warm bottles with which to shower.
Well I guess that is enough about the past. It is now time to write about the present!
