Sharon and Jacques’ Excellent Blog

Where did we go?

Ok we got sidetracked! After spending a fantastic week with Helene in Singapore, we suddenly hit some challenges in order to get out. Seems we could not book onward tickets from Singapore to Dubai for about two weeks because of Ramadan. All the flights were booked and we were stuck. Well not really stuck because Singapore is fabulous and Helene is an outstanding hostess, but we were needed in Dubai.

After some persistence and wrangling, I managed to get us waitlisted on a flight out earlier. We managed to get out on a 2 am flight and found ourselves in Dubai at 5 am. We attempted our communication with the taxi driver to head to a plae we had never been before, what else is new? Despite the GPS and the fll colour map and directions we provided, it took us an hour and a half to get to Mike and Sally’s..

Dubai at last…

So we made it. Mike Loubser is a friend of Jacques back from his childhood in Africa, and then they spent some time in Canada about 15 years ago when Jacques and I first met. They have decided to open a new health clinic where Dr. Mike can be the amazing pediatrician he is, and heal those little rugrats.

The clinic opened the day before we arrived, and Jacques and I were immediately put to work. Jacques has performed his computer guy magic and has the systems up and running. Despite some challenges with the British software provider and the Indian hardware provider, he has managed to bridge the gap. I have been helping on the operations side, writing manuals, training and general efficiency stuff. I also have been helping on reception until the final staff member comes on board.

The first week was a huge challenge, with the other doctors just not getting the program, the challenges of training, and the frustrations of everything being new. Week two is just about over, and all are now happy and fine. Improvements are being suggested and all the equipment is functioning.

Even the sterilizer… Now that is a story..

Seems that there are several types of sterilizers here for instruments, and the clinic purchased a “oven” sterilizer which is dry heat. However, the manual seems to indicate that it is a blanket warmer rather than an instrument sterilizer. This caused huge consternation, and attempts to get the blanket warmer replaced were unsuccessful. Anyone who knows me knows that science and math are not my forte. However, I decided I would call the manufacturer to try and get some answers. As luck would have it, the manufacturer was German, which means precision and no messing around with half answers.

In my best high school German (Frau Holl would have been cringing), I managed to explain my problem and asked to speak to a scientist or technician (or baker, not really sure). I was informed that yes indeed, the oven works as an instrument sterilizer and these are the exact temperatures and protocol to follow. Hallelujah!

However, we now faced a new problem. The instruments are put into sterile bags, and will they withstand the temperatures? Now I needed to call China. I can order from a Chinese food restaurant and eat Dim Sum with the best of them, but his was a bit complicated. I managed to find a lovely girl who asked me to email her my question. Now that is much better! I received the acceptable temps for the bags, and now a call to a local microbiologist to figure out if the maximum bag temp is adequate to kill the bugs. We got the all clear!

I have learned far too much about medicine than I care to know.