So, I’ve survived one week and no major traumas yet! I meant to update this on Friday but had to rush back to the farm as some backpackers had arrived and I had the key to the lodge. Then we were away all weekend so I’ve only just got back to a computer.
The first week went well; I’ve got some much clearer ideas about where I’m going with my mini-project. I’ve spent a few mornings in the PMTCT clinic and the main things that strike me are how busy it is, and yet how patient the patients are, plus how incredibly hard it is to maintain a decent follow-up system without sufficient computer facilities or staff skills/time to use them. The staff are very dedicated to what they do in each consultation, but there is no system to ensure that patients come back when they need to collect CD4 count results, talk about starting on ART, pick up their AZT (zidovudine) refills etc. As a result, around 50% of HIV +ve women who deliver in the hospital have not been taking the correct therapy. I’m trying to look at why this is (both numerically and more qualitatively by interviewing patients and staff) to see if there’s anything can be done to improve thingsboth ante- and postnatally.
The computer is being very unco-operative this morning, so I will be coming back later to try and complete this week's update including our weekend trip to Hlane...
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