Just a quick note on the conference even though it was probably the highlight of my research interest for this year. The reason is that I’ve already told you most about this project in my last entry about Lilongwe. The latter was essentially a dress rehearsal for the more dedicated platform that it was targeted to- MOA: the Malawi Orthopaedic Association annual gathering. This is again an event you’ll have heard about to length in an entry almost exactly a year ago and indeed this year also things weren’t that different. One difference though was that I was invited to join the faculty on the AO (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen!) training day, which was a huge priviledge and responsibility. This is the first part of the yearly meeting and it really is the perfect opportunity to get those CPD (continuous professional development) points in orthopaedics across to our OCOs. The second day, I was awarded the key note address after the original speaker couldn’t make it. This was again a great opportunity to enhance the impact of my research project. I undertook a pilot project into an improved data collection system that would work for the districts, with the hope of reducing duplication of work and registering more accurate data to inform planning and prioritising within the speciality nationally. Big words I know but when you have the health PS among your audience, you really got to seize your chance with both hands. And this I certainly did by promoting my other big project at the moment which is the publication of a multi-author manual to common orthopaedic problems in Malawi. Unfortunately, at that point my heretofore very successful conference came to a premature end. I had to excuse myself to attend to that other commitment I had made ages ago!
So, after a 7 hour transfer, including car, minibus and legs, I reached my lodge in Mulanje ready for the next days’ adventure. I made the acquaintance of my 18 strong woman team that night for a medical briefing and ground testing. The girls had actually come as part of a “responsible tourism” initiative to raise money for a financial project supporting microloans for the less well-to-do. What’s most laudable about the way they’ve organised it is that they’ve included a trip to the actual place in their itinerary. They were certainly a great laugh to hike with, and maybe also good that they didn’t push me anywhere near my physical limit, as that might have slightly impaired my medical faculties. Thankfully, those weren’t called into action much, save a few sprains and a nosebleed that I was one of the only ones not to have witnessed! The route itself was the old classic to the hut adjacent to the summit Sapitwa. The latter we had to skip to accommodate the team’s pace. Thereafter the route changed to incorporate brand new territory for me in the form of the Scorpion path, West peak and the Milk run. 3 days, 2 nights in total and a total body meltdown after those last few months of intense build up to the conference.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT 4
No big trip in Malawi is complete without a new insight into the idiosyncracies of its transport system. This time it was the return trip from Mulanje to Blantyre that provided the new wisdom. It is a poorly understood paradox as to why minibuses seem so reluctant to depart from the depot, yet turn into land speed record contenders once they get going. You’d think, ‘they’re full to the brim when they leave and surely will pick up people as their exiting passengers make way for new ones. Why the rush then?!’ Well competition as you probably imagined is the key. But why this particular route and particular time? That’s where my insight came. Around 5-6pm is when a lot of tea/sugar estate workers commute back home. This means they’re scattered along the route and their journeys are usually short ones. Thus if one minibus stays ahead of another throughout the trip, they get to pick most of these short distance travellers and take the lion’s share of the booty. Once one’s minibus is overtaken, one notices an immediate escalation in tension as reflected by the speed. Unscrupulous tactics are adopted by the one in front to prevent loss of their advantage- lane straddling, indicators to indicate ‘not safe to overtake’, blocking exits at stops etc. Overtaking becomes an all-enveloping obsession for the one behind and the slightest mistake made by the rival can be fatal to him. Sadly this metaphor so suited for the race strategy described above, often ends up also being true in the literal sense!
I should have felt refreshed to resume work in the best of shapes after this escapade, but this was so brief that it merely served as a sore reminder that Janet and I are due a more proper holiday very soon to beat this recent drawl of work-dominate-life routine!!! The lake of Stars (my second and Janet’s first) fortuitously is just round the corner now. Maybe that’s what we need to kickstart our long awaited descent into chilldom! Highlights guaranteed to follow...
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