As far as work is concerned, the two Ugandans who have been in the department have been off on annual leave so Rebecca and I have been working hard to run physio, only taking a day off each at the weekends. The surgical ward has calmed down after the bus crash with all but a few having been discharged, although the roads are so dangerous that there are always a few patients at any one time who have been admitted as a result of road accidents.

No less than three visiting surgeons have come to operate free of charge on the “rural poor” here in Kagando since the end of March - two orthopaedic surgeons and a plastic surgeon. We could not have anticipated the success of the outreaches. For about two days on each occasion we were holed up in our department, assessing a constant stream of patients who patiently sat from morning to dusk on the grass outside physio, waiting their turn to be seen. There were probably around 100 attended for each surgeon. If we thought they were suitable for the surgeon, he would assess them and operate if appropriate.

The kind of thing the visiting orthopaedic surgeon operates on.

I have never seen the like of the weird and wonderful things people came with in my life, and never expect to see such in the NHS. While lumps, bumps and abnormalities would get picked up very early at home and treated, the rural or mountain folk here either lack the money for transport or operations, they aren’t aware that their condition can be treated, or are convinced that they have been cursed and try local remedies.

It was a real privilege to be a part of something that was so life-changing for people. In certain cases, like the girl with the cleft lip and palate, it meant that she would no longer be ostracised by her peers and, as her uncle said happily, she now has a chance of getting married, which is so important in this culture.