HIV Care and Nutrition Program (UKUN)

 The past two weeks at Bagamoyo we had a great team of 4 volunteers. I was away the first week in Zanzibar but Debbie, Godfrey, Kirstine and Charles took good care of the patients. We continued home-based care, did regular visits to Mariam at the hospital, did testing at the office and put out posters to promote our office HIV testing. Unfortunately we were sad to see Debbie and Godfrey to go last week as they were such a great asset to us but they have both promised to come back soon. We were fortunate though to receive help and medical supplies from Kirstine’s boyfriend who is visiting here. He is a doctor specialized in surgery and will give us plenty of teachings on medical assessments!

Patient MP:

MP was put on a drip at home for couple of days but we knew it was not enough as she was not swallowing any medicines at all. Her diarrhoea continued. We obtained a blood sample from MP and took it to the clinic to check malaria and it came back negative. Finally the next day Mariam’s family agreed to take her to the hospital for feeding. I was relieved as I was going on a trip to Zanzibar the next day. She was put on Sodium Lactate drip (that was almost impossible to get from Bagamoyo, luckily found one in our office!) and they discovered that she had meningitis. They treated her with IV Fluconazole for few days. She had nasogastric tube inserted and was fed porridge and medicines through it as she was unable to swallow for several days. After a week she was better and discharged home. Mariam appears just the same as she was before this illness. Peter Kirstine’s boyfriend assessed her on a home visit and also said there is not much we can do for her, only palliative care to keep her comfortable. We put on some new medicine dressing to her pressure sore and it appears to be healing. Debbie’s gift Sudacrem is also a great help for her. She appeared comfortable but we will get some small cushions to put between her limbs for pressure care. Mariam is able to swallow again but is eating only small amounts of porridge. She is refusing to drink ORS (oral rehydration salts). Family were grateful for all our support; we gave them more gloves, disinfectant and juice for Mariam.

Patient AB:

Unfortunately AB got sick at the office for couple of days. We all assumed that it was due to him missing out three day of his ARV medications! We told him off for not being compliant with ARVs and the consequences that can follow. We told him he is throwing away his opportunity to start the art school in January if he will not be well enough.

The second day evening we took him to the hospital to see a doctor and after some blood tests they discovered malaria. He was given medications for three days. He appears already better from it. He needs repeat medications for malaria this week and then next week to retest. Peter brought him a present from Denmark; a pillbox with weekdays written on it! We can keep proper check on his medications and it will be hard for him to miss again. He has understood how it works and is all motivated again to get himself healthy for GOIG School for January 2014 J

Patient CPT:

CPT continues to get our support for two showers a week, laundry, cleaning and exercise. Debbie and Kirstine took him for a walk on his wheelchair whilst I was in Zanzibar and he really enjoyed that! He received a new ‘mohican’ haircut and a shave from Godfrey and a new bucket that is easier to empty for his toilet chair. Peter assessed his mobility a little last week and told us to continue with the chair exercises. The exercise pole he said would be so great for him but after the family took the last one down we are hesitating to waste our time to build another one. Peter is not the first doctor to tell CPT that with some exercise and building more muscle to his thighs he could walk again. Peter also discovered that CPT has scrotal hernia, which Captain was aware of already but as he experiences no pain it should not be dangerous. CPT was showing of his big arm muscles as usual and his ‘pot’ belly but Peter told him his swollen stomach was not fat, just ‘air’ but his arm muscles are real at least.

New family :

A family that was known to UKUN/PHI office a long time ago came by the office last week. It was a mother with her three children. Her husband had died. Mother is HIV positive and her eldest son of eight years of age. Both of them are not taking medications (ARVs) due to lack of support and nutrition. The other two younger children fortunately tested negative. Mother appeared severely malnourished and weighed only 37kg. Debbie and Charles gave them some food at the office and we bought 1kg of porridge if they come back next day. The mother went to the hospital twice in two days but we never saw her again at the end of the second day. Therefore we do not know what the doctors had told her and if she was given any medications. We need to go for a home visit this week to assess their housing situation and assess all the family members’ needs for support.

We had a lovely ‘Thank you & see you later’ meal for Debbie and Godfrey at Poa Poa restaurant here at Bagamoyo. Both of them will be back soon to volunteer with us.

We have been doing a shoe and necklace campaign with two local artists; Chanzi and Zakaria to raise funds for our patients. Debbie has taken the order to Europe; 20 pairs of shoes and 11 necklaces. With this we managed raise over £100! We also received another £60 for Kathy’s cake sales from Plymouth! Great stuff!

This week there are no volunteers working with me but luckily none of our clients are critically ill this moment. Kirstine and Peter are coming back from their trip from Zanzibar at the weekend. Sunday this week, 1^st December will be the ‘World HIV Day’. We are still finding out where it will be happening in Bagamoyo but certainly we will be joining in with testing, information, free condoms and red ribbons!