Trainee doctor's Africa trip was 'humbling'

A trainee doctor has described two weeks in Africa learning about healthcare there as a "humbling experience".

Ella McLaughlin, a 23-year-old studying medicine at the University of Sunderland, travelled 7,000 miles (11,265km) to Kenya.

The trip saw the final-year student spend time in the town of Nanyuki where she worked in a hospital as well as in the community and a school nearby.

Ms McLaughlin, who is from York, said she had "never done anything like this before and I was truly out of my comfort zone".

Among her tasks was helping at an outreach clinic set up in the rural village of Tang Nyeusi where people have a more than a six-mile (10km) walk to a pharmacy.

She also travelled to Uaso Nyiro Primary School where she helped give a talk to children aged 10-15 on puberty and menstruation.

Ms McLaughlin said: "A lot of children come from tribal backgrounds which have certain traditional and patriarchal values which don't always value women.

"I discovered that some schoolgirls were made to sit over a hole in the ground until their period was over.

"Following the talk, I was able to hand out donations of reusable pads to over 70 girls."

At the Nanyuki Teaching Hospital, Ms McLaughlin worked in A&E, the newborn baby unit and the maternity unit.

She said it was "very unsettling" to see the A&E ward had only one doctor, while three babies often shared a cot.

"Another aspect that shook me was the fact that maternal deaths were just accepted and not questioned," she said.

"Deaths were spoken about like it was the norm and it was almost expected in some cases. The high instance of maternal deaths really alarmed me."

Healthcare in Kenya sees people opt in to a national health insurance scheme. However, some struggle to cover the costs, Ms McLaughlin said.

One patient was unable to afford an injection during pregnancy to prevent a condition which can lead to anaemia, heart failure, jaundice, brain damage and even the death of the baby.

"It was only £30," Ms McLaughlin explained, "but that was too much for this patient. I paid it and she became very emotional and was extremely grateful.

"Helping the patient afford the medication was a humbling experience. It made me realise how much we take for granted in countries with accessible healthcare systems."

Having returned home, Ms McLaughlin is working on the wards at Sunderland Royal Hospital ahead of her graduation next year.

The summer trip was made possible through the university's Futures Fund scholarship.

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