Kolabo-McMUST Partnership Uganda Trip 2023
Day 4
The resident and staff psychiatrists worked together to see patients presenting for an Addictions clinic amongst other outpatient mental health concerns. The common substances that cause disturbances in functioning and wellbeing in Uganda are similar to those in Canada, including alcohol and cannabis. However, there are other substances, including the stimulant khat which is not commonly used in North America.
Patients presented for group therapy which included discussing the progress they have made towards any goals of sobriety or harm reduction and then individual sessions for which the physician team could review their diagnoses and medication management.
Dr. Deborah Adesegun, Dr. Megan Howlett, and Dr. Elisabeth Merner from the University of Calgary outside the classroom at MUST psychiatry.
Day 5
The second major ward rounds were completed for the week and the Kolabo-McMUST teams were able to familiarize themselves with the patients admitted to the mental health unit. The most common presentations on this unit, which included male and female patients of all ages, were psychotic disorders, bipolar disorders, substance use disorders, and epilepsy.
Weekend
During the weekend residents and junior faculty from the University of Calgary and McMaster University were able to get to know their peers (MUST residents and mental health advocates) during an excursion to the Igongo Cultural Centre in Mbarara which allowed them to learn about the traditional customs and ways of life for various tribes living in Uganda in the past and present.
Day 6
The teams returned to major ward rounds and once again staff and resident psychiatrists from the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences (CUHAS), McMaster University, and the University of Calgary worked together to provide consultative patient care and learning opportunities for trainees.
In the afternoon, second year MUST psychiatry resident, Dr. Nanziri Angella, presented a lecture on seizures and the associated neuropsychiatric sequelae. Individuals with epilepsy are at a heightened risk of psychosis, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, depression and anxiety concerns.
Dr. Nanziri Angella teaching about seizures and associated mental health symptoms.