Instructions for Bill

by Bill Nelem
April 2008

I sleep fitfully awakening with the airplane travel map advising that we are11,000 m over Reykjavik, - next stop London and then Lusaka. Whilst most of the passengers sleep, some nighthawks the likes Rachel and Rebeccah watch movies on their seat back screens.A Chinese woman seated besides me eats her now cold vegetarian supper. The stewardess brings me a small bottle of red wine - a French Pinot Noir, no less. Paul will be impressed!

I'm alert now.I focus on my many instructions.
Jessica and Lianne, two recent UBCO nursing grads will spend several months teaching and working at the community nursing school in Mongu:
My instructions: Go to Mongu and find some answers;
Accommodation, where will we stay? The work, what's it all about?
-What options are available?
-How much this would cost?
-How close is it to the teaching college?
-Are there cooking facilities?
Nursing Curriculum
-How long are the semesters?
-When do the semesters start?
-What teaching equipment do they already have?
-What teaching equipment/supplies can we bring?
-What areas do they want us to teach?
Local Hospital/Clinic
-What medical supplies are needed?
-Opportunities for us to work there?

Viktor Frankl, were he alive, would like Jessica and Lianne! I will tell them that Viktor Frankl's 'Man's Search for Meaning' is a required reading assignment!In Mongu, I'll meet Mr Mandona - the Principal at the School of Nursing. I will also meet Pelina Chibanje and Silumbu Mumbuwa, Instructors at the nursing office. I likely won't make it to Senanga.

Then there's Rosemary, born in Lusaka now residing in Kelowna – and her instructions:

Find Susu, Rosemary's old cook. Make sure that he has a bicycle. If he's dead, find his wife. If she's dead too, then find Alison, their son.

He's a responsible sort, and make sure he has a bicycle. He lives at Erwin's farm, part of the property that once belonged to Rosemary's family. The property is on Leopard's Hill Road, past Woodlands. Should be an easy find!!

John and Jane Jellis, he a partly retired surgeon, live on 'Border', the other part of the farm. This property is now a bird sanctuary. For your memories Rosemary, I will enjoy my visits.

Gene's list of instructions is quite detailed:
Start with Laurie Rogers at the Canadian High Commission to update her on our progress. I always start my visits in Zambia with my friend and former medical school classmate, Chifumbe Chintu, the Paediatrician - the Professor!!

Next, get Margaret's airline ticket and her signed letter of invitation to her ASAP. She needs to get her Canadian visa pronto. Dr Margaret Maimbolwa is the Vice Dean of Medicine, Director of the University of Zambia (UNZA) Nursing School. Margaret returns to Kelowna with me in April to spend 3 weeks with UBCO Nursing planning 7 or 8 different collaborative projects.

The Vice Chancellor at UNZA, Stephen Simukanga, a mining engineer, is to be a signatory on our UBCO - UNZA Memorandum of Understanding with respect to all matters of health collaboration. He is a must. He always answers his cell phone directly. Like our DVC, so does Doug Owram!! The other co-signatory on the agreement is Dean of Medicine Yakub Mulla.

We have a telephone meeting with UBCO and UNZA Friday this week to conclude the signing of the document. If you can make the meeting Doug, it will be appreciated, Joan's office 7 am March 14. I'll be with the Dean and the VC in Lusaka 5pm Zambian time.

Also at UNZA, I will meet Dr Wilson Mwenya the DVC; Kenneth Chanda, Librarian, and Prof Richard Siaciwena, Distance Education Directorate.

At the University Teaching Hospital, besides Chifumbe and Deans Maimbolwa and Mulla, I will meet the surgeons, the oncologists at the Cancer Clinic, Donald Kalolo, Chief Pharmacist, Gavin Silwamba, Community Medicine, Dr Stewart Reid, a Canadian friend, Internist also works at UTS. Chipefwe Sichilima is in charge of E Learning. I'll brief him on our tele-medicine in Kelowna.

Then I must meet with Emily, Norman and Lumba at 'Women for Change'.

Henry Lyatumba is my Rotary Lusinta contact, and I will find Christopher Simoonga at the Ministry of Health.

Can you believe it? The Chinese lady beside me on the plane is snoring, and the nighthawks have nodded off!! Maybe I'll sleep too.