Theory vs. Practice: The Civil Servant Edition
By Kaylyn Koberna When I was younger my father often quoted Yogi Berra during “teachable moments.” This might seem less than helpful on several levels; oddly, however, the more experience I gain in the public health sector, the more the paradox-prone Yankees star makes sense. Consider the following example: “In theory, there is no difference […]
The Nuts and Bolts of Better Health
By Kaylyn Koberna This morning I sat down with the Maintenance Supervisor and Medical Engineer at Bwaila Hospital to go line-by-line through an exhaustive inventory of spare parts. Half inch galvanized sockets? Cut the quantity by half. Thousand-watt theatre halogen bulbs? Essential. Nine-volt rechargeable batteries? We will make do without. It was tedious, frustrating, and […]
The Accidental Dognapper
My morning walks with Duke are only partly for the dog’s benefit; mostly, they’re a chance for me to clear my head before work. As Partnership Officers liaising between the Malawi Ministry of Health and the Office of the President and Cabinet, my co-fellow and I spend most of our time charting the gray areas […]