Skip to main content

Home | Reports and News | Medical Laboratory Technicians, Kitovu Hospital, Uganda.

Report on placement to teach at the school for Medical Laboratory Technicians, Kitovu Hospital, Uganda.

My placement was from the 1 st. Jan 08 to 31 st. Jan 08. I set out for Uganda on New Years Day 08. reaching
Entebbe at 9. 30pm,the same day having travelled through Amsterdam with KLM .I spent the night at the Boma Band B .Next morning I was picked up by the car from Kitovu Hosp. Dr .Maura Lynch came down to greet me and made me feel very welcome .Masaka is situated about 4 hours drive south of Kampala, and Kampala -One hour from Entebbe .We arrived -in Kitovu-at approx 6pm. Just as darkness set in. My
journey was very satisfactory .This is a tarred road. I was taken to the Tutors house. It was well furnished with running water, shower ,fridge( when electricity was available) and gas cooker.
Next morning I met some students who were still returning from Christmas hols. There was a great shortage of petrol/deisel in Uganda because of the blockades in Kenya. Fuel was both expensive and scarce .1 was welcomed to Kitovu by Bro. Valentine, Senior lecturer in the school. And given the time table. They had planned a very busy time for me. I would have 26 students in my class. .Four days a week I had lectures/practicles twice daily and one day lectures in the afternoon .1 had spent 6 months in the school
from Nov.06 to April 07, lecturing on two subjects Histopathology, and Blood transfusion Techniques. My intention was now to do practicles in both these subjects .1 was introduced to my class aide a young girl who had passed her exams Aug. 07.
Knowing my students was a great help. They appeared to be delighted to see me. We got down to work straight away. Revision I felt was best first and I was delighted to fmd that they were well up to speed, and very anxious to get to do practicles.
We did a preliminary class on health and safety, Washing down benches, wearing disposable gloves and wearing white coats .and the importance of safely disposing of used material. As I had brought out lots of material-, stains, tissue sections, coverslips for histopathology .Red ,Blood cells and antiserum for Blood transfusion we were ready to start .1 varied the work so we did different subjects on alt. Days. Getting
students to come on time was particuraly difficult. A heavy shower of rain would be enough to keep them late .1 explained to them that would not be excepted in work at home .1 tried whenever possible to compare work in Uganda and work practices at home. Histology practicles covered, H and E, Fe stain ,and P.A.S.stain. In transfusion we did lots of ABO and rhesus blood grouping both tile and tube methods. This they
would use straight away in the hosp. Labs. I also showed them and had them perform cross-matching. This is not so much practiced in-U ganda to-day. but I felt that is the next step in the development of Med. Lab -Science, within U ganda,
By the end Of Jan. we had covered the practicles and the students were very adapt at picking up my homemade incompatibilities..
I left Kitovu on the 31 st.Jan 08 feeling I had done a good job. The students sit their examinations in August 08 and I do hope they do well. I feel they are a great bunch of kids ,eager to get on and most wished to travel abroad, and a good qualification would help them along. 

I had no contact with Rotary on that visit though previously I had sat in on a meeting of Masaka Rotary Club. Rotary does lots to support the VVF programme in Kitovu headed up by Dr. Maura Lynch. The school could do with some outside visiting lectures. This would help to stimulate the students as it adds a further dimension to their lives. Bro. Valentine, is the Senior Lecturer, and director of the school.
Thank you for helping me go to Kitovu and if in the future I can help out in any way do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Mary O'Carroll