Opthalmology

Its the simplest things that bring the department to a standstill.

Its not a lack of qualified staff. The head opthalmologist, Dr Ji, is a highly qualified Chinese doctor on loan to Mnasi Mmoja for the next two years.

Its not a lack of equipment. They they have a whole lot of, as my inner-bogan might say, 'shit-hot' ophtalmology gear which was donated by the Chinese government along with Dr Ji.

Its not the three-years-out-of-date eye drops, which noone seems to have a problem with.

Every day the opthalmology outpatient clinic grinds to a halt due to a lack of glue-sticks. Not some sort of special eye-glue either. Just the regular paper kind which is used to stick intra-occular pressure printouts into the patient notes.

Every day we run out of glue. Dr Ji gets angry. And nothing much happens until an assistant manages to go and borrow some from another department.