Back in Nouakchott I had a similar post about my day to day life running the Health Unit, so thought it would be a nice time to right down my routine here, and how it compares. The reality is every Embassy is run a little bit differently, and the same is true of each Health Unit. Staffing, the local healthcare system, procurement, ease of travel, and a million other variables go into determining what the day to day life might be at each assignment.
In Myanmar I start my day like most people do, showering, getting ready for work, then heading to work. In Nouakchott, I drove myself. In Myanmar I either walk or take the local equivalent of an Uber (Grab). This is the first difference from Nouakchott in that we can take certain public transport. It was strictly forbidden in Nouakchott because the taxi system was ride share Frankenstein Mercedes-Benz from the 80s.
From there, my clinical work day isn’t too different from Nouakchott except this post currently doesn’t have children due to the situation on the ground. I also have more staff in my HU that handle a lot of the administrative duties. When I was in Nouakchott, my local nurse and I would be in charge of all procurement, inventory, etc. Here in Rangoon, I sign off on it, but my local staff is so well oiled, and I have twice as much staff that the admin part is a blip in my day compared to my time in Nouakchott.
One thing that is consistent from post to post is the parade of weekly meetings. Meetings with your team. Meetings with the management section. Meetings with section heads. Embassy wide meetings. Virtual MED meetings. They are a constant fixture on the calendar and eat a good chunk of time.
Lunch is typically taken in the Embassy cafeteria which is worlds better than the one in Nouakchott. I probably ate from the cafeteria there 4 or 5 times in two years. In Myanmar, I do that in a week. We also have delivery options like Uber Eats, Food Panda, or several restaurants in walking distance. The options are endless and delicious. A welcome change.
At the end of the work day, as long as it isn’t pouring rain, I will usually walk the 1.2 miles back to my apartment to unwind.
Unwinding often involves taking a seat here at the restaurant located in the apartment, and having a beer that costs roughly $1. This is obviously a large departure from Mauritania, which was a dry country, and drinking in a public setting was illegal. The apartment complex also boasts a very nice spa, where you can get a 90 minute massage for under $15, so this too has become a prominent staple in my weekly routine after work.
Ultimately, the major changes are adapting to the new environment, but the day to day of taking care of patients similar. Myanmar boasts better medical facilities, pharmacies, and regional procurement ease compared to Mauritania, which makes things nice, but the meat and potatoes of the job remains the same. The most obvious difference boil down to quality of life, which despite the situation in the country, Myanmar has the upper hand on Mauritania. It has been a lovely 4 and a half months here and I just know it’s going to fly by. -Nick
