SLG - Nieuwe werkperiode in Sierra Leone - English

 

Dear all,

My last update was written a week after I returned from the AFM in Madagascar to the GLM in Sierra Leone. A lot has happened in the past months. We finished up our SLF Field Service in Sierra Leone.
Followed by a good bye celebration for our wonderful day crew.

The entire Operating Room Department had to be cleaned, packed and secured for sail.
I left the ship mid June to spend a good amount of time in the Netherlands. Finding some rest. Relax. Catch up with family and friends.
7 weeks sounds like a long time, but these weeks flew by.

Back on the GLM
July 31st I returned to the Global Mercy (GLM) in Tenerife. Got reunited with my friends onboard.
We spend about a week in Tenerife, preparing for another sail to Sierra Leone.
Many projects have happened during the summer onboard the ship, including the hospital. So our job was to ensure that our department was secured for sail, check for stowaways, practice at sea drills. Starting office work and prepare the online portion of the BLS, ACLS and PALS courses that would take place soon after arrival in Sierra Leone.
But the sail is more than preparing for the upcoming field service. There are many activities organized that crew can participate in, as you can understand that nobody can leave the ship to go out and explore or go for a walk/ bike ride during a sail. We’ve played sock golf, corn hole, watched “Pirates of the Carribean” on deck in the dark, had worship at sea.


I’ve been back onboard the GLM for only a month, but it feels much longer.
We’ve arrived in the port of Freetown on Wednesday, August 14th, around dinner time.
After our arrival we have unstrapped/ unsecured, cleaned and setup our department. As we only have a small team, we had a lot of help from PCG’s (Primary Care Givers; mostly mum’s that have a primary job in caring for their children), Junior High/ High school students that used the scheduled time for Student Life to help us clean the hospital.

In the middle of our cleaning and setup we had 3 practices of a hospital evacuation. Taking fake patients from the Operating Room and Wards safely of the ship. Pretending we’re in the midst of a surgical procedure.
We held an open house/ hospital. This is an unique opportunity for the entire crew to come and visit the hospital. Learning about the sterilizing department, taking care of patients, surgery, intubation, visit the laboratory, radiology and dental clinic. A real fun time as a team in the OR to host the crew but a great teambuilding for us as well.

The first surgeon consultation day will be held tomorrow (Monday) and surgeries start on Tuesday.

Personal stuff
Social Activities
We’re in rainy season here in Sierra Leone. Which means that there are more moments of rain than dry moments. And it rains a lot, and hard, the only positive is that the rain is warm.
I did make it off the ship for lunch with a group of friends last weekend. Being away from the ship (and work) and spend some quality time together is definitely necessary. The weather wasn’t great, the roads bad, but we were glad we had left the ship for a bit.
Last night we went out with a small group of friends for a pizza, celebrating the last bit of freedom, as tomorrow, when the hospital opens, our on-call schedule starts and our free moments and possibilities to leave the ship together will be very limited.

Personal
As you probably have read in my previous blogpost, this was my last sail (for now) into a new country and starting up a new Field Service.
I’m somehow preparing to leave the ship and return to the Netherlands. Not sure what that is going to look like and I don’t know how I feel about it at this point. I have found a place to live for about 6 months, after that it’s all up in the air.
I’ll take some time to rest and process the last 9 years with Mercy Ships and will try to sort out what is next. In this time I also hope to join an official debriefing program to help with processing.

Prayer points
A safe start of our new Field Service in Sierra Leone
Enough staff to run the OR department on the GLM
For me personal, to finish my time in Sierra Leone and with Mercy Ships as well
Safe return and re-entry into the Netherlands
Find a good debriefing to attend

 

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