Shalini’s Guyana Blog – Two more from Week 1

Block room in Georgetown!

There were a fair bit of medical students hanging around, it was their last day and they did not know what do so we started teaching them. They were delighted to practice their BMV, LMA insertion and intubation skills on a mannequin. We did make a make-shift block room in the PACU but there was no patient for us! Perhaps in the coming week?

Guyana end of week 1!

Today is the end of week 1. We have been in Guyana for 7 days now. This was a very eventful week and I will report the interesting events.

Clinical work is interesting in the Georgetown public hospital corporation. We had a teaching session with the residents (at various levels of training) on Thursday and got to know them as well. Now I can tell a few names and I am sure I will get better, as the days go by. Maxine is the senior most and will be visiting Hamilton, Ontario in a few months time. She is waiting for her CPSO license. The PGY4s (this is a 4-year program) visit Hamilton for 3 months, regularly. This is such a wonderful opportunity for the Guyanese residents as they get to see things that they have only read about.

We visited the OB suite. It is a relatively new building that was finished in 2017. There were 4 C-sections planned for the day. The place is run by nurse-anesthetists who do all spinals/GAs. Attendings are available in the building across the street in case of problems. It was Deja Vu for me and it seemed that I had stepped back in time, at least 35 years! There is minimal OB analgesia service and lack of equipment/personnel may be partially to blame. Also, the residents/attending stay in the main ORs.

Just as we were getting the hang of the Project Dawn, we had to move out on Friday as the place was needed for a larger orthopedic group. Now, we are in a hotel in the town. This is a reasonably comfortable place and we both have our own rooms but we have to eat out every night. I am worried about restaurant food for 12 nights. I have not hand-washed clothes for more than 2 decades and this is not something I am looking forward to!

On Saturday, we walked to the botanical gardens and the attached zoo. This was a nice trip and we saw some strange animals. We met one of the anesthesia consultants who was also there with his daughter. On our way back, Beth bought coconut water and we did some grocery shopping. Beth cannot stop trying to pet stray animals and I cannot stop telling her not to. Let us see who wins.

We went out with the two OB/gyn residents from USA and had a nice evening. Today, we walked to the local Bourda market and bought some fruits and vegetables. We are both craving fresh greens and fruits! No to mention “LATTE”!!!

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