Steph in Uganda

Last Friday, our Masters of Public Health Leadership students took a trip to a national referral hospital in Kampala to see what it's like for mothers who deliver there.  The hospital provides emergency obstetric care to manage complications such as obstructed labour, eclampsia (high blood pressure which can lead to seizures and death), haemorrhage.  This is the highest level of care in the country for those who cannot afford to pay for care in a private hospital.   What I saw there was a shock to my system after having worked and studied as a nurse in Toronto hospitals. The tour gave me a view to the challenges of caring for women in setting where system resources are lacking. As we entered the labour and delivery ward, staff were wheeling out a woman on a stretcher for an emergency C-section. Her uterus had ruptured.  This is a life-threatening complication which results from major internal bleeding of the uterus.* This mother  had to wait for care due t...

Hello friends!  I am starting out on this blogging adventure to share a bit more about my time in Uganda with you. On August 29, 2017, I flew to Uganda to work with an organization called Save the Mothers as an intern. The mission of this organization is "to train local leaders in the developing world to reduce maternal mortality in their own countries." My role is to help with coordination of the classes for STM's Masters of Public Health Leadership program at Uganda Christian University. Additionally I work on contributing to social media updates, doing research and whatever else needs to be done! I plan to be here until May 2018. I hope to stay connected with you! Check out  Save the Mothers !