Ethiopia - Tigray Region

Enjoying an evening of Ethiopian music and dance

Purple flowers of the Jacaranda tree

Artist using natural paints to create a distinctive Ethiopian artwork

Natural colours derived from these plants

Example of the artwork

We visited this monastery on a small island

Frescoes in the monastery depicted Biblical stories and stories from other ancient Ethiopian writings

Zoomed my iPhone as far as it could go and with boat restrictions this was the closest we could get to these hippos. There were actually 3 together, one a baby, but I couldn't get them to sync their surfacing at the same time

Typical yard in the rural Tigray region. As opposed to the Amhara region where houses were built of wood, these were mostly built of stones. No shortage in the countryside of stones!

One of many photos while driving through the countryside on our way to visit 5 rural hospitals

Boys eager to have their photos taken

Girls not so much. Notice their distinctive hairstyle all tightly braided at the front then loosely connected at the back. Camel caravan in the background on their way to a salt mine to return with sacks of salt 

We had to get a signature from a hospital director only to find him under this tree where he has a monthly meeting with the community

These women burst out laughing when I showed them this photo. This was taken in one of the hospitals we visited. I asked our driver what the woman to the left would have in her containers and he suggested hair oil. The center woman was likely bringing food for a family member in the hospital

Blossoming cactus

Ploughing the plots. The oxen obviously understood Amharic as the farmer was constantly yelling at them (and using his whip liberally)

Many switchbacks on the roads up to 2 of the hospitals. At one point we saw a large group of monkeys but I did not have the camera ready so lost the moment

That moment when you do happen to have your camera ready and for a split second you see a fox. Showed this to the folks in our hotel who were amazed as they had never seen one

The beauty of the terraced hillsides

Ethiopia - Photos of Amhara Region and SPECT's Hospital Assessments

Colourful flags - Ethiopia (upper) and Amhara region (lower)

Preparing and drinking coffee here involves a "coffee ceremony".

This woman is preparing coffee in the airport in Addis Ababa

Having lunch at a roadside restaurant. With the right hand you break off pieces of the sourdough flatbread (called injera), then wrap it around the assortment of items on the platter and scoop it into your mouth. The platter was shared by our driver, Ministry of Health rep who accompanied us and Olive and I

Mixing up a plaster of straw and mud to cake on the walls. The smaller photo shows before and after plastering

Roadside vendor with assorted items

Ethiopian "backpacks"

The next series of photos are from our hospital visits in the Amhara region

After surgery, instruments are put through a 3-basin system, first a 10-minute soak in a chlorine bleach solution (no longer recommended by the WHO), washing in soap and water then rinsing in the 3rd bucket. The blue bucket has a lower concentration of bleach and is used as a High Level Disinfectant for items that cannot be put in an autoclave

Washing the instruments in soap and water with a large brush

The room where the instruments are decontaminated, dried, inspected then wrapped prior to sterilization in the autoclave

Floor model autoclave

Tabletop autoclave

A water distiller - autoclaves frequently break down because users do not have access to distilled water (required by all manufacturers) so we were delighted to find a hospital that was able to find a distiller. They have had no problems with their autoclave.

Storage cabinet where instruments are stored prior to surgery

We spent 2 days with staff from our partner agencies, Assist International and Lifebox

Medical staff at two of the hospitals we visited.

Staff were receptive and are eager to work with us

Attending Thailand Medical/Dental Conference

From Feb 13 -23 we attended a large conference in Northern Thailand for medical and dental professionals from around the world. We were there to network at every opportunity possible and to make 2 presentations about the work of SPECT. The conference was held at a lovely resort easily capable of hosting an event such as this.

Torch Ginger

Conference Centre

Countryside surrounding the conference centre

The "Pollinator" at work in the lily ponds

Waterfall a short hike from the conference centre

Presenting the work of SPECT at a workshop

Presenting SPECT's work at a lecture

Chiang Mai - 1 hour pedicure - $5

Sampling Thai food

Goodbye India ...hello Thailand

The purpose of our trip to India was first and foremost to develop a good working relationship with a medical equipment manufacturing company in New Delhi. This was accomplished. We have now ordered 60 large pressure cookers and specialized surgical instrument baskets for distribution in Benin, West Africa this March. We are working closely with Mercy Ships and the Ministry of Health in Benin to select clinics and hospitals and train their staff on the principles of sterilization and how to use this system. Now we are just hoping that they will get them made and shipped on time.

In between meetings with the company (and being sick for a couple of days), we tried to explore as much as possible, after all, it would be a shame to be in India and not see a bit of the country!

On one of our days off we toured some of the most popular sites in New Delhi.

The Red Fort, built between 1639-1648. There is so much history it gets confusing who built what and when

The Mughal emperors lived here for nearly 200 years

Always impressed by the architecture. This was a public meeting hall

Humayun's Tomb, built 1565-1572, commissioned by Humayun's 1st wife, Empress Begum for her husband. As we were looking at this it crossed my mind to say to Olive "she loved her husband so much she built this tomb to remember him by" and then I remembered that Shah Jahan built the Tag Mahal out of his love for his wife. The Taj is far grander. I held my tongue!

India Gate - a war memorial similar in architecture to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

The Lotus Temple - a Bahai temple noted for its flowerlike shape. I think we toured at least one place of worship for all major religions that are represented in India

Akshardham Temple - a modern (2005) Hindu temple with intricate ornate designs (no cameras allowed on the site)

Raj Ghat - a memorial dedicated to MG who died in Delhi

The place where MG was cremated

We met a very friendly and entertaining rickshaw driver (Akbar) who offered to take us into the extremely busy and narrow lanes of the Chandni Chowk market area. Although he wanted to show us all the market had to offer, we requested to just go to the Spice Market. What a wonderful array of smells, colours and samples of spices and foods

Shop after shop full of sacks of nuts, raisins, cereals, spices, tea and more

Anyone want a date?

Spice mountains

Lentils, beans and rice

  

Feeling chili?

A bird's eye view of one street in this market area. Our driver took us into a narrow lane and up several flights of stairs to get to this vantage point

Hello Thailand - after about a month in a predominantly Hindu country, we have arrived in Chiang Mai where Buddhist temples abound.

Young monks-in-training

A senior and junior monk walking through the temple grounds

We will be staying in Chiang Mai for the next 2 weeks, attending a large conference of medical and dental professionals from all over Asia. SPECT has been invited to make one presentation and to conduct a workshop at this conference.