Front of the Hospital.
After the long trek the previous day, we arrived in Shirati. Our day began with a church service that was a combination of Swahili and English. We got to mingle and meet all of those in charge of different units in the hospital, the doctor, and the Head of Nursing. They were all very welcoming and continuously said “Karibu Shirati” which means “Welcome to Shirati.
Taking a break at the Canteen.
After, we took a short recess at the canteen where we were treated to water and soda. A few of us met some of the doctors and clinical officers (same as a Physician Assistant in America). Then, we ventured to our tour of the hospital. We visited all the wards and met all of the staff in each ward. Each staff member was very proud of the work they did. We learned all about hospital (inside and out) and the role of each staff member. At the end of our tour we were lead to the Shirati Hosptial’s School of Nursing that is on the same grounds as the Hospital itself. We were paired with a student from Shirrati so throughout this week we can build individual relationships and have someone with us in the hospital to translate and learn from each other.
After lunch we split up into thee different groups: the women’s ward, pediatric ward, and men’s ward. We all finally got to participate in patient care and witnessed Tanzanian health care firsthand. We all agreed that the hospital here in Shirati is different from the U.S. but also agreed that there is a lot for us to learn from Tanzanian healthcare.
Pediatric ward.