Preparatory Musings

Conversation with Barbara about plans for transporting medical equipment to Africa without costing an arm or a leg.

Getting Ready

This is the preface to our journal documenting our 3 month journey to Botswana, between mid January and mid April 2010. As a Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania alumnus (IM '77, Cardiology '79), I have been given the opportunity to participate in the partnership between Penn and the government of Botswana (Botswana-UPenn partnership or "BUP"), providing teaching and medical cardiology services at the tertiary medical school-affiliated facility, Princess Marina Hospital in Gabarone, the capital city in the southeast part of the country. Preparations are underway -- planning to be away from a large home during the Maine winter is daunting!  We've had our shots, had TB testing, received recommendations for insect repellant and malaria prophylaxis, obtained electical connectors to help transform 220v to 110v. We have a new laptop (do I really need 320Gb of memory?) to help us communicate, pay bills, give lectures, and entertain (lots of classical music and R&B downloads). Philips corporation has kindly offered to provide me a state-of-the-art laptop echocardiogram machine to use while there, and I'm trying to figure out how to get 10kg Aquasonic gel delivered there without costing unconsionable quantities of cash. Soon, we'll pay attention to clothing and other items suggested in the very helpful handbook provided by Penn. Less will be more, and we hope to travel light other than the above-mentioned electronics. We also have to figure out how to transport >3 months-worth medicines (insulin kept cold, Minimed pump supplies and batteries, back-up diabetic materials like Lantus, injectable Novolog, test-strips and lancets, ad nauseum). Anthem tells me they will make sure I can take whatever I need...a helpful assistance from private health insurance (an oxymoron?). We'll start posting regularly after Jan1. Happy Thanksgiving and other subsequent holidays!