After last weekends traumas - which included a snake dropping off a roof on to my head (no joke and no laughing matter I can tell you!) - this has been a good week.

Best news of the week - I have been asked to be the Godfather (watch out for the horses heads!) of my friends baby boy. How chuffed am I? - Rhetorical question, Answer (so not really a rhetorical question then) = VERY! Then I find out that all 3 will visit in April. How cool is that?

Secondly, the roof has finally been completed on the NTS building. This is a major achievement and work has now started on plastering the outside (tried to post picture but it is not happening tonight). Hector the Director Bradbury is well and truly enjoying this new challenge.

Thirdly, we found out for sure that Capts James and Heather Elliot will be joining the ever growing band of ex-pats at Chikankata on Saturday. They come highly recommended and both have nursing backgrounds. From Stornoway to Chikankata, hmmmm

Fourthly, our newly implemented Medical Insurance Scheme goes from strength to strength. Basically if you bring a 50kg bag of maize to the hospital - a family of five will can be treated for free at the hospital for the whole year. This week we passed the 2000 bag mark (tried to post picture but...)

Fifthly, we have receive a substantial donation from TSA/USA to upgrade the hospital radio studio into a fully fledged community radio station, that will reach all our catchment area. Colonel Radar has instigated this and is here working on this project at present. I've bagsied the breakfast show but I don't think the Colonel is too impressed.

Sixthly, we have managed to secure a new motorbike for tracking HIV/AIDS patients in the community to make sure they are taking their daily medication

Seventhly, the issues regarding the transportation of a container from Aberdeen to Zambia (AtoZproject) seemed to have been resolved - the shipment leaves next week.

Eighthly, sorted out satisfactorily a very delicate and sensitive issue with a very important person

Finally, new Anaesthetist (man, that's a hard word to spell) has agreed to come to Chikankata - this will be the final piece in the hospital jigsaw for now - there are no more vacant houses on the Hospital side of the mission.

The range of experiences I have been getting is truly fantastic; whilst we have had some really tough times, we've had some great times too. Things are definitely moving in the right direction.

Go the Big Man upstairs!

ps Tomorrow is the Hospital's annual performance assessment from the Ministry of Health. Will let you know how it goes!