Yesterday I went to the main vet college in Eth. I was astonished at
how much they need. No xray or ultrasound, very limited body-fluid
analysis, etc. (very very little in the way of reagents). The main
("multipurpose") lab has 7 microscopes, but only 2 work. In the surgery
area, none of the operating lights work correctly. If I understood
correctly, only one of the 5ish lights works at all, and it casts only
a dim light. The others are just used to hang glucose, etc from.

To examine animals, there are concrete forms at ground level that the
animal walks into, to be surrounded on three sides. For dogs, there is
a hole at the front end, a chain from the neck goes through the hole,
and the dog's snout and 1st part of the head sticks out the other end.
The owner holds the back of the head. Then the vet students can examine
the dog's body.

But because these forms (for dogs and farm animals) place the animal's
feet and bellies low, and because the forms are like trenches and are
close enough to confine the animal, the students can't get to the legs,
bellies, etc w/o going into the trenches w the animals. W a large
animal, that can be dangerous, and at best it is extraordinarily
inconvenient.

Etc. -- many many other needs.

So of course I am hoping to attract some help for the college. For
a great start, I think Dr Beckett's complete set of film-based xray
equipt will get there.

I also talked w the director of college. He's studied and worked in
Germany and Hollland and so of course the situation at the college
gives him a lot of pain. He struck me as a great person, and in the end
I told him about my own predicament w my diagnostic vet clinic project.
He thinks he can help. He's got a considerable professional network of
alumni, including many diaspora people, and he thinks he can find a
suitable partner for me to fill in the remaining money the government
requires of me.

As you can imagine, that has my hopes up again. We will see!

[Posted in FML 7219]