Uganda: Kayleb Galloway (Learning on Excursions)

Editor’s Note: The Uganda Mobile Clinic Program focuses on creating and implementing mobile clinics in the Lweza and Mukono communities and the surrounding Mukono District of Uganda. In partnership with the municipal health office, the district Mukono Health Center 4 (HC4), with school and community leaders, participants on this program work to inform local students and parents about where clinics will be held and what services they can and cannot provide. UW Madison students have the opportunity to observe and assist, when appropriate, Ugandan physicians, health officers, nurses and other health care providers.

Learning on Excursions

One program excursion that I learned a lot from was our first mobile health clinic here in Uganda. We left the guest house on a Saturday morning to begin our one-hour bus ride to a more rural area outside the city of Mukono. We arrived at a primary school where a few hundred people were waiting for us. We set up several stations on the school grounds. These included stations such as height and weight, blood glucose measuring and malaria testing, pharmacy, eye, dental, and general clinic sights, along with others. Us students split into groups and worked at each station alongside other medical professionals like physicians and nurses as we began to bring patients into the health clinic. I began at the blood pressure station where I conducted blood pressure and pulse measurements and recorded them onto the patient’s information page. Due to the volume of individuals coming into the clinic, we conducted check-ins at the blood pressure station as well which required us to record the patient’s name and date of birth. With the language barrier present, we had some patients who spoke better English help us correctly translate this information as we went along. We then rotated to different stations throughout the clinic, and I ended up spending a lot of time at the family planning station. This excursion experience ties to our course topic as we are providing a variety of mobile health clinics throughout our time here in different locations as we also compare the health and health care systems of Uganda on the United States. Specifically, within the family planning I learned about how birth control options are more limited in Uganda but also provided free of charge. Additionally, I also learned how condoms are not generally used as contraceptives as they are in the U.S but rather are only used to prevent the spread of HIV.

 

Kayleb Galloway

Hometown: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin

Major: Health Promotion and Health Equity with certificates in Global Health and Disability Rights and Services

Program: UW Mobile Clinics and Health Care in Uganda

One goal that I have for this program is to learn how people of different cultures view health and health care services. In doing so, I intend to become more culturally and globally competent when working with people who may share different values, perspectives, or experience other than my own.

I look forward to learning about the culture in Uganda and within the city of Mukono. I am interested to learn more about the social norms and day to day life and activities available during my time there.