Next week there is a review team coming from Bergen, Norway to assess the program and determine if they want to continue funding some scholarships for four residents each year to go to Bergen as well as some visiting neurosurgeons and other expenses. There is a lot of anxiety around this visit because of the money involved and they have spent one or two hours each day beating the subject to death. I have proposed an approach that I think is their best shot, but nearly every discussion of anything reverts to repetitive dialog on this subject.
Today I visited the other nearby government hospital, Zeditu, where I will be doing some surgery. I hope they are going to pay attention to what I said as some proposed surgery is not indicated based upon their incomplete examinations. I have proposed a remedial review of neurological examination for the residents and hope the consultants will attend as well; in lieu of this I am now doing a relevant examination at the bedside on each patient in hopes that they may see how to properly assess the patients. Met two of the neurologists who want me to give a lecture next week on trigeminal neuralgia.
Last night I had the pleasure of spending the evening with Tom Kornberg and his family. In the picture are Tom and sons Ross and Zack
Tom's father and brother have both won the Nobel prize. Tom is a professor at UCSF and his himself doing brilliant work. Thru a contact of theirs we had dinner at the home of a very successful Ethiopian young businessman.
His cook prepared an immense buffet of lasagna, steak, fish, chicken, two other pastas, at least five vegetable dishes. Did not get home till well after midnight.
This afternoon I am going to work on the problem of accommodations for the next surgeon who is to follow me here in 3 weeks. This is his 6th visit, yet somehow they have felt free to give his apartment to someone else. While the people are incredibly nice, they often do strange, unpredictable, and inexplicable things like this.
With all of the chaos here in every aspect of, they have two very civilized rules that yield an immediate ticket if broken: taxi drivers must wear a seat belt (but there are none for passengers) and there is a policeman on many corners to give a ticket to anyone driving and talking on a cell phone.
They have changed the movie at the only English speaking theater so I will probably go to it tonite.
That's all for today
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