Corruption
Corruption in Africa is widespread. So widespread in fact that most us aren't even suprised by it anymore. Occasionally, however, someone comes along and takes corruption to a whole new shocking...
View ArticleBirth day
The time is drawing nigh and I'm actually getting a bit nervous.With my first pregnancy I decided that I didn't want to be one of those annoying women (like many a patient I've seen) who comes in...
View ArticleFamily make the worst patients
I'm not sure if this is universal, but in my personal experience and those of my close friends and colleagues, your own family members and close family friends are always the worst patients.Maybe it's...
View ArticleIt's a girl!
So I've finally given birth, yay! It's a beautiful little girl and she was born yesterday morning :) Quite a story about how it happened but I'll tell it next time. Right now I'm just going to recover...
View ArticleNVD
So I narrowly escaped having my baby cut out by a gynae.Due to unforseen circumstances, I ended up having my baby in Cape Town. This meant I had to find a new gynaecologist/obstetrician. My cousin...
View ArticleRed tape
I find dealing with medical aid's extremely frustrating.Before I could be admitted for confinement I had to obtain a pre-authorization number from my medical aid scheme. The first time I called (which...
View ArticleLeave of absence
I haven't posted for a long time. Having two small children and then going back to work as well has kept me busier than I could ever have imagined, so I haven't had much time to do anything else, let...
View ArticleSexism
I recently attended some lectures where the speaker told us about an exam question she'd set about adherence to HIV drugs. Some guy had answered: 1. Rural people cannot be trusted to be adherent 2....
View ArticleShocked
I heard on the news today that a doctor at a Johannesburg hospital allegedly raped a patient at the hospital's rape centre! So this woman was raped, and then the doctor who was supposed to help her and...
View ArticleThat's Doctor Evil, I didn't go to six years of evil medical school to be...
I've had my share of difficult patients but one in particular stands out...This patient was an older man who was referred from the occupational health clinic at his place of employment. He was in the...
View ArticleRoad works
My commute to and from work has been quite difficult lately: there are road works on the one and only road between the town where I live and the town where I work. It's quite annoying to have to sit in...
View Article...pants on fire
I've often wondered why patients bother to lie to their doctors. We have seen just about everything in the book as well as most things not in the book.There's not much that phases me anymore and when...
View ArticleFoot-in-mouth disease
I was assisting in threatre today and we were doing laparascopic work. We were using a new system from a guy whose equipment we've used before - and this guy is really panicky on a good day. So today...
View ArticleMisinformation
I read this article in a parenting newsletter recently and was actually impressed with its useful advice. However, there were two things that bothered me about it: firstly it states that probiotics...
View ArticleIn mourning
The ones left behind. In my line of work and especially in the setting in which I work, I see alot of widows. There is still a very strong belief in the local community where I work that a widow should...
View ArticleMaster and servant
"Many of my past relationships didn't work out because the other person didn't realise they belonged to me" - Jack MacFarland, Will & Grace.There is a syndrome which I believe to be uniquely South...
View ArticleDisclosure
Disclosure has always been a major controversial issue amongst HIV clinicians and the public at large. Unfortunately discrimination is still a fact of life around here. Many HIV positive people are the...
View ArticleDon't judge a book by its cover
Few patients around these parts are clued up about their health care. They usually don't have any idea what medical conditions they have or what medication they are taking and why (patients on ARVs...
View ArticleSurgeXperiences 305
Surgexperiences edition 305 will be hosted here on 6 September 2009!This surgical blog carnival is open to anyone and everyone who has a surgical blog or article to submit.Please submit your articles...
View ArticleSurgeXperiences 305: This Is Africa
Welcome to Africa for this 305th edition of SurgeXperiences:we have some great articles for this edition of the fortnightly surgical blog carnival...Sid Schwab of Surgeonsblog writes about the current...
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