3. Day Monday

Today was a tiring day.

After a morning run 🏃🏽‍♀️ with Leon and Martina in pleasant cool temperatures, we set up a dental station at the hospital.

After some back and forth, we were shown a room at the other end of the clinic. A Medical Officer (Francis) and a nurse (Martha) showed us the facilities and a depot of dental materials from the advance team. (March 2018). We were very shocked that there was so little and especially that the mobile unit could not be found. Nobody knew.

After contacting the board (Plant Action) and the advance team in Germany via WhatsApp, it turned out luckily at the end of the day that there was another locked storage room. 😅

Then we went to Lilongwe to the Medical Council to register for the work permit. A minibus with a driver took us there (approx. 70 minutes). Here in Namitongo, there are very few cars. People all walk or ride bicycles or mopeds. (Sometimes with up to 4 people on a moped or bicycle.)

In Lilongwe, however, there are many cars and the streets are congested with them.

At the Medical Council, there was another surprise. They requested an additional signature from a lawyer for our affidavit. (A lawyer has to counter-sign this before you can register.) Luckily, the driver of our minibus knew the lawyer for St Gabriel's Hospital and drove us there through the city. 👍🏼 And then back to the Medical Council.

Then we had to pay $440 per dentist for the registration. First, the dollar bills were checked for their printing date.

Only fresh banknotes are accepted. Unfortunately, there was an "old" $10 bill among them. Luckily, I had another bill with me that we could exchange.

Then we finally had our registration. 😊

Afterwards, we went to Action Medeor to pick up our ordered 1500 toothbrushes, toothpaste, medication, and the repaired air motor. After all the paperwork, we were happy to have successfully completed everything important. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful, only the clocks tick a bit differently here.

Then we went to the supermarket for a big shopping and then back to Namitondo.

After a short coffee break, we set up and organized our treatment room at St. Gabriel's Hospital with our fully loaded suitcases and boxes.

Unfortunately, the treatment room is smaller this time because the large room is supposed to be kept free for a meeting.

Let's see how everything will be tomorrow. We're all excited.