Imagine 45 degree heat and 7 hours of teaching per day when all of your participants have not eaten or drunk
anything since 3am. Add some of the most hospitable and generous people
you have met with a heart to make a difference for the suffering and
needy in their country along with amazing culture, colourful markets and
fantastic food (after 730pm) and you have sense of my recent experience
in Khartoum, Sudan during Ramadan. Dr Nahla Gafer, clinical oncologist
and palliative care champion at RICK (Radiation Isotope Centre
Khartoum), along with Dr Ahmed Elhaj, Dr Mohja Khair Allah, Mr Alfaki Suliman (from Soba hospital) and the rest of the team arranged the first palliative
care training for oncology staff. This was in partnership with the Comboni
College led by the inspirational Fr Beppino Puttinato and Fr Jorge Naranjo 
(http://www.combonikhartoum.com/short-courses/palliative-care.html)
They invited
facilitators from the Makerere Palliative Care Unit to share their
experience and to join the Sudanese team to teach and advocate for
palliative care. More than 20 students from 4 hospitals, representing several
disciplines and levels of experience worked hard with a willingness to
share and consider how they will implement their learning. We had key
discussions and offers of support from the Ministry of Health
non-comunicable diseases department and the WHO representatives. We met
committed hospital directors from the Khartoum Breast Cancer Center, RICK and Medani and heard of the progress in access to oral
morphine and the hope to integrate palliative care throughout the hospital setting even beyond oncology and to dream of how this can be available in
the rural settings of this large and varied country. We heard too of the
challenges with high inflation, geographical distances, lack of
training options available in 
Sudan and the many upheavals politically in the region. For
Mwazi Batuli and myself as well as student and Sudan enthusiast Emilie
Myers it was an amazing 2 weeks. We miss the baobab and karkadi drinks,
the rugag soaked in milk, the guiding skills of young Yousif, Arabic henna, bustling night markets, the sound of the muzzein folllowed by mouth watering fatur and the deep faith of Sudan's people but feel privileged to be part of this palliative care journey and look forward to being able to work together in the future. I return with my Sudanese name; Dr Mohira, a beautiful Dafuri basket on my wall, some Arabic henna, a few more Arabic words, a new tribal dagger to cut the haggis at my Burns night celebrations and the joy of renewing friendships, building new relationships and
Anyone reading this and near Scotland this week we would love to share more of the work of Cairdeas 4th or 5th October.https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cairdeas-International-Palliative-Care-Trust/288455601217080
