South Sudan 2011: Lockdown

Two weeks before the newest country on the planet is born and we have lockdown. Juba was closed for business as the Southern Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) conducted searches for guns throughout the city. And let’s be fair here, they are understandably keen to get rid of as many random firearms as possible before the world’s dignitaries arrive for the inevitable motorcade across town to the celebrations in the fields around the grave of Dr John Garang, South Sudan’s liberation leader who died in a plane crash after the same number of days in power as he spent years leading The Struggle in the bush.

Not having our ear quite close enough to the ground we were unaware of the lockdown, and as we hitched a ride in to work at 0700 on Saturday morning with a farmer from the camp we did find it odd that we were almost immediately pulled over by some gentlemen wielding fully automatic rifles. A quick ‘we’re doctors and heading to the Teaching Hospital’ allowed us through to the next blockade 500 metres further on. This happened 4 more times before we reached the hospital gates. We had passed many cars with their boots opened and bonnets up in the search for hardware, and pedestrians spread-eagled against the walls having a compulsory pat-down in case they too were ‘packing heat’. The hospital was like a ghost town: no doctors and no patients. It makes you wonder what happened to the 500 sick people that usually appear every morning. We asked the gate-warden who explained about the gun searches and expressed his surprise that we made it in at all. The roads had certainly appeared empty...

However this was not a day not to make it in. After a number of meetings we had managed to arrange a joint clinical meeting between the UN military hospital from Bangladesh and Juba Teaching hospital. We had started attending their Saturday meetings in the UN Mission (UNMISS) base both for the interesting talks and the amazing hospitality shown by the staff there, and after another filling, tasty, if very (spicy) hot, chicken toasty with tea it seemed that this had to happen; an exchange of knowledge and cultures. The Bangladesh doctors rarely get out of the compound to meet the local Sudanese, and the doc’s at JTH (Juba Teaching Hospital) need some structure for a clinical meeting. So the event was born and I was to present on ‘chest pain’ at the UN base which would be followed by food prepared by the Bangladesh team. And JTH was empty. Brilliant. We hopped an ambulance to the base, after failing to rouse any interest from the junior doctors living across the road from the hospital, and with lights flashing were ushered swiftly through the blocks. The UN guys were very disappointed by the turnout from the hospital, but understood the difficulties due to the road blocks and the day was saved when two of my juniors from medicine strolled in, having endured I don’t know how many full body searches just to get down there. Everyone was pleased and the meeting went very well. Next month it’ll be hosted at JTH and we’ll serve the local specialty of fuul. The ride back was an experience as well, as the dusty roads were almost totally empty and gangs of armed military lined the street corners, sheltering from the blistering midday sun and we cruised through unscathed in our own UN military 4x4.

We were back down at the UNMISS base again today helping with the teaching of the SPLA doctors after being invited to join the Bangladesh team to teach them there. It was great to see the army doctors playing about with manikins (which they had never seen before) with a below knee blast injury and severed hand, out of which poured fake red blood that eventually covered everything.

What else?

Well, Freddie the kitten is still alive- we have had a number of concerned emails regarding the little biting horror. He is as bitey and bouncy as ever and I miss him, and even though she won’t ever admit it, Heidi does too! And now I get sent for ‘time-out’ in the sin-bin instead.

Muddles has been keeping a low profile after word got out that a hit squad from the Department for the Environment were out to get him. I’m sure he’ll be back when the heat is off.

And fuel has arrived in Juba- by boat. With all the aerial bombing in the borders trucks have been unable to pass down safely, hence the shortage, but the barges cruised in last week with tankers on them to supply the town.

And finally...

Our teaching sessions have changed somewhat, as we have been reduced to a zero doctor turnout to any sessions! We have been overwhelmed with their disinterest! However, the medical students have been arriving in droves and each week more and more appear so the little office is overflowing with them, so much so that we are doubling the number of teaching sessions for them. It is great to see such interest and enthusiasm when it doesn’t even count towards their degree, as the University is officially shut, has been for 8 months, and shows no sign of reopening any time soon. These guys are like sponges and have a real keenness to learn. When you quiz them on something tough the following week they remember the answer! Work is afoot to get something more secure and consistent underway for them so we’ll keep you informed. These young men and women are the future of this new country and with that in mind you have to believe that they will drive it to a bright place.

Well, that’s a little update. The next will not be such a long time coming, I promise!