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Angola Diary
4th - 10th August 2003
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I joined MAG in August 1999. I am from Lubango, which is the main city in the province of Huila. This province is north of Cunene Province. I came to Ondjiva to visit relatives in 1999, and during this visit I saw the advertisement for medics for MAG. I was trained in Lubango as a nurse and worked there in the hospital for three years. After I was successful at applying for the job I received special training from a MAG expatriate from England, who gave training in dealing with trauma patients, such as those in a mine accident or in a road traffic accident.
I am 41 years old, and I have 6 children, who are all living in Lubango. 4 of these children are now at school. I am able to return home to Lubango twice a year in July and December to visit my family, but it is important I continue working in Cunene as this job supports my whole family.
I am responsible for making sure that all the medical evacuation procedures are accurate, and for taking care of the general health of the deminers. This is very important while we are camping out in areas such as Cuvelai, where we are now working. Many of the deminers suffer from problems such as malaria and diarrhoea. This week two of the deminers were unable to work because of these problems.
One of the main problems we have had is that the amount of medicines available is not adequate. However with the additional money we have received recently from donors such as TBS, we have bought extra medical equipment. This is very important for safety reasons and for the health of deminers. We are very grateful for this money.
Joaquim Victorino
MAG Medic
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