SNIPPETS

We've had no running water in our house for 5 days. This is when you remember how fortunate you are to come from a country where water really isn't a problem (although those with big gardens in the South of England may argue otherwise). I am though getting a bit fed up of chucking cold bore-hole water over my head every morning - that can't be good for you. I think I maybe a bit manky and smelly.

Book reveiws and meaningful quotations are often published on blogs by some of my more esteemed blogging friends. At the moment I am reading a book that Vibeke Krommenhoek gave to me just before we moved here. The Siren Call of A Dangerous God is good. I have tried to read it before and got nowhere. Now I can't put it down. It struck me as a bloggers book because it's just a guy (Geoff Ryan) giving his views on anything and everything that is important to him. It's a bit more than that but well worth a wee read.

Action Plan and Budget 2007-2009 completed this morning, in immeasurably less stressful circumstances and pressures than last year. It's a 84 page document that I don't really think anybody actually reads. Anyway, some good achievements: malaria fatality rate down last year and people started to actually come to the hospital when they are sick. Concerns: the case fatality rate of diarrhoea in the children under five years old from 58 per 1000 to 89. This is a real worry and something we will need to look at. Maybe have been related to the cholera outbreak earlier this year.

Finally, today we enrolled our 1000 HIV+ patient for ARV medication. Not sure if that is good news or bad news!