Sunday, October 29, 2017

Traveling to Madagascar the 1st of November - 27 November 2017.

It's been a few years since I've updated the blog. =)

Trips have been made both to Mozambique and Uganda - but there is no time to tell all that happened there. I can only say, I'll try to update next time.

The trip this time is to Madagascar.

We are 5 nurses from the Sørlandet Sykehus Kristiansand, (the main hospital) that over that last year has planned to travel to Andranomadio a local hospital in Antsirabe Madagascar. Helping out in different wards, and help with some programs in the villages surrounding Antsirabe. And show them some of the places where I had my childhood. Well that was the plan.

THEN....... There is a pest outbreak in Madagascar.
Every year there is a outbreak Yersinia pestis in Madagascar (October-February).

Do we go, do we stay, what about insurance – will they cover???? Questions are many. The health department hasn’t said don’t go…..
Things have been talked about, discussed, re-evaluated…..

The thing that was new now, was that new areas were hit. And this year it hit the capital and the surrounding villages. It was more severe this year cuz it came as lung pest.
If not treated it's 100% fatal.
They had 4 ppl infected in Antsirabe, whom got treated and sent home, at the hospital we were going to helping out.
Each year there are Norwegian nurse students that come to Andranomadio for their internship, and they were sent home because of the pest. Which made ppl more concerned about traveling to Antsirabe. Understandable!!
The main doctor at Andranomadio said it's ok to come there now, cuz they haven't had any more incidences with the pest there.

Because of the circumstances, the team are leaving for Mahajunga to stay out of Antananarivo (Tana, the capital) and I'll be going to Antsirabe for a week. Then I'll join them there after one week.

They will have some program/fieldwork in Mahajunga, and we'll work together there from the 11th of November.

Mahajunga is a city I've never been to, so that will be exciting.

Will try to have updates here frequently when I'm in Madagascar!