Medical Missions Children

Almost every day we hear stories of various fundraisers, collection drives, and mobilization of people in support of Haiti. One of our most unusual fundraisers was right here in our home town area of Norfolk, VA. 

Dear Friends in the USA,

I write this e-mail to you to let you know that I am alive and all my parents and my fiancee's parents are alive.

The first bulding of St. Vincent is down and 6 kids and employees died in the earthquake. Now they are with me in the field of the College St. Pierre near the Palace. This afternoon I will have a meeting with the bishop, and I plan to propose to him to let me go with all the kid to Montrouis. I hope he agrees.

We really appreciate what Bill Squire did yesterday. He came to visit us in this difficult situation. He brought some money for us and we will use this money to feed the kids during three weeks in Montrouis.

The urgent now is to feed them. We don't have any materiels (cloths, toothbrush and toothpaste, soap). After the earthquake people got into St Vincent, so they robbed all the rest of the materials left, in my office, in the dorm, in the pharmacy, in the oparating room etc....

I hope in the next day the state will be able to pull out all the wall so we can built a new wall to protect the rest of St Vincent.

Glory to God we are safe, Glory to God He keeps the children safe. May his name be glorified everywhere.

In Christ,

Sadoni

 

Note: The email message above was received on January 18, 2010 from Father Sadoni, Director of St. Vincent's Center. Montrouis, where he hopes to take the children, is on the coast northwest of Port-au-Prince. The Rev. Canon Bill Squire, President of the Children's Medical Mission of Haiti, went to Haiti to assess the situation and take money to feed the children. He has since returned home saftely. Also check the CMMH website for updates. Please continue to keep Father Sadoni, the children, and staff at St. Vincent's in your prayers.

Donations collected though the Physicians for Peace Haiti Relief Fund are shared with St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children. If you would like to contribute, make your donation here. 

 

Dr. Lisbet Hanson, an Ob/Gyn who is in Haiti working with Partners In Health, sent this update to Physicians for Peace last night to report on conditions on the ground:
 

"Many many thanks for your help. we are fine, trying to work with PIH to help in any way we can. Cange seems fairly calm and no major destruction here, though a lot of panic initially.  Patients may be mobilized to Cange and Hinche: There is only one general surgeon and the Haitian ob/gyns are anxious to leave to check on their families in Port au Prince as they have had no contact. Sometime today I will have a better idea of what is happening. Thanks for your prayers and all that you do. I hear the devastation in Port au Prince is huge.

Very bizarre, surreal experience sitting here in the Friendship House listening to the ZL (Zanmi Lasante, Partners in Health, Haiti) staff roll out their plan and hear as news trickles in about the airport tower collapse, the palace destruction, the UN destruction with many unaccounted for, the prison collapse, etc. Have heard that Loune and Louise in Port au Prince are OK.  Everyone is very emotional, there is a lot of passion. 23 people from ZL including Paul and Ophelia are having a skype conference trying to figure out how to get in through the Dominican Republic and bring helicopters into Port au Prince to begin triaging patients, then airlifting them to Cange or Hinche where teams of surgeons will be wlling to care for them. Cange is worried that they don't have enough fuel for the generator. The dam is down, there is no power so everything is running off the generator. The water purification system requires electricity to work. And there is only so much fuel. I have offered to scrub, hold retractors, donate blood, help in post op. I think in a few days there will be many people here as volunteers stream in but in the first few days perhaps I can help and not just be in the way. Thinking of you all."
 

Physicians for Peace has set up a special relief fund for the victims of yesterday’s earthquake in Haiti:

 

Click here to make your contribution.

 

Physicians for Peace has been providing medical education and training in Haiti for several years, particularly in rehabilitation for trauma victims through its internationally recognized Walking Free program.   

 

Through Physicians for Peace’s partner network of Healing Hands for Haiti and St. Vincent’s School for Handicapped Children (and others), both in the capital city of Port au Prince, donations will go directly to provide immediate trauma relief as well as longer term assistance for amputees.  

 

Healing Hands for Haiti has been providing Orthotic and Prosthetic services to the people of Haiti since 1998 using both US and Haiti specialists.  St. Vincents School for Handicapped Children is a multi-service facility that provides preschool through high school education, vocational training, physical therapy and medical care. The medical clinic, which includes a small surgical suite, sees over 1000 patients a month for primary care, developmental evaluation and 20-30 corrective surgical procedures. 

 

“Obviously, such a devastating force of nature has caused incalculable loss of life as well as countless traumatic injuries, particularly amputations,” said Physicians for Peace President and CEO, Brig Gen Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.).  “Because of our experience in working with amputees  around the world, and particularly in Haiti, and our close alliances there with highly capable medical partners on the ground, we are in a position to give some immediate medical help.”  

 

 

Last month, a team of Physicians for Peace volunteers traveled to Santiago, Dominican Republic to provide burn care training at the local hospital. The ABIQ training program (Atención Básica Inicial del Quemado,) is similar to the US Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) training but adapted for latin America. The Advanced Burn Life Support (ABLS) courses provide guidelines in assessment and management of burn patients from the scene of the burn injury through the first 24 hours post-injury. The courses are open to MDs, RNs, LPNs, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, therapists, paramedics, fire service, and other emergency care personnel. 

Dr. Ramon Lopez, Director of Physicians for Peace for the Americas, tells about the success of this training mission:

"On Thursday morning we got into the Burn Unit Dr. Thelma Rosario of the Hospital Regional Universitario Dr. Arturo Grullón. Dr. Ariel Miranda Altamirano and I were received by the Director, Dr. Renata Quintana, and had a tour through the unit. Dr. Miranda was very pleased to see how the Unit is set up. After the visit to the unit, we had a lunch meeting to discuss all the expectations for the ABIQ training and all the details.   >At 3:25 p.m. Lic. Alba Rony landed in Santiago. At night we had a welcome dinner with the President of the Voluntariado Jesus con los Niños, Vilena Comas de Stern and her team. On Friday we started the ABIQ training at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra with the presence of Dr. Rosa Morel, the Director of the children's hospital, plus a significant participation of the staff of the Burn Unit which included more than 70 participants. 

The ABIQ training, according to the evaluation of the participants, was very successful and filled all the expectations.  Dr. Quintana and her team want the ABIQ training twice a year and asked to DR. Miranda and I to come on February for other training. The participation of Haitians students was significant and Dr. Miranda is willing to go to Haiti to offer the ABIQ. At the end of the ABIQ, 69 doctors, residents, last year students, and nurses took the exam and were certified with the ABIQ.

During our visit to the Hospital Regional Universitario yesterday, we were welcomed by Dr. Rosa Maria Morel, who is the General Director. She was so excited about the outcome of the ABIQ and also wants us to continue the Physicians for Peace Seeing Clearly mission. In addition, they need urgently some missions for PALS and NALS for both the Hospital and the Burn Unit.

As you know, Dr. Ariel Miranda and I we were the instructors of the ABIQ and Lic. Alba Rony presented the conference of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children with Burns and their family."

Burn care training is an important part of Physicians for Peace efforts to improve patient care in under-served regions through international health education. 95% of deaths from burns worldwide occur in lower or middle income countries. You can help support our volunteer medical missions in burn care training and prevention education. Click here to make your donation. 


 

 

 

An important focus of Physicians for Peace Maternal and Child Health Programs is treatment and prevention of VVF and RVF (vesicovaginal fistula and rectovaginal fistula.) These serious complications of childbirth occur during prolonged labor, resulting in serious tissue damage to the mother. The condition occurs more often in developing countries where women become pregnant at a very young age. Read more about our VVF Surgery program.

In May 2009, Physicians for Peace sent a team to Segou, Mali to help with efforts to address this widespread problem. (Read about the first mission to Mali.) This week, Physicians for Peace volunteers returned to Segou to help more women get the surgery they need to heal this devastating condition. 

Laura Gwathmey, student of International Studies at Old Dominion University, is traveling with our medical volunteers to report on the progress of this mission. She sends her first update:

 

Greetings from Mali!  We've arrived in Segou and begun setting up at the hospital today. The staff and the Millennium Development office had arranged for a welcome banner for our group! I'll be sure to send pictures soon. We also began pre-screening fistula patients today. We expected approximately 30 patients, but when we arrived, we found 57 waiting for us and many more on the way. Apparently, the patients from Physicians for Peace's May 2009 mission were so pleased with their care that they passed along the word, and we have more patients than we can handle! We're also seeing a greater variety of patients than previously - we've had many fistulas, but also many children, one with complications from genital mutilation, and several male prostates.  Several of the women have been living with fistula for years; we met one woman today who has been living with fistula for 20 years! They have traveled for days to reach us and sleep on hospital grounds awaiting treatment. 

We also met with the governor of the Segou region and several local health officials today, pleading our case for greater support and assistance for the people of Mali. All of the officials agreed that there is much work to be done to help prevent and treat cases of fistula.  

 

We begin surgery tomorrow morning at 7 am and will continue until dark. Each day seems to bring a new challenge and a new heart wrenching story.  

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You can help mothers in poverty by supporting our volunteer medical missions in Africa. Donate now or visit www.physiciansforpeace.org to find out how to make a medical donation to our gifts in kind program.

I am finally able to write of the first ever birth at Pampaida Health Clinic, New Millenium Village, Nigeria!

Maryam is a 17 year old mother with her first pregnancy. The team tonight consisted of Dr. Ojo, Banke, the nurse, a CHEW-community health worker, and me. Maryam had her mother-in-law, aunt, husband, a niece and nephew and about 5 other men in her entourage. The men and children quickly found a bench or position on the floor and went to sleep.

We timed her contractions. This was something I hadn’t done in about 8 years. I had really become dependent on the fetal monitors for telling me when contractions we occurring and how long they were lasting. She was having 2 contractions in 10 minutes. They were only lasting about 30 seconds. We started a partograph to frequently record information on the labor. The baby’s heart rate was wonderful and the head was well down in the pelvis. Maryam’s blood pressure was a little high at 142/90 and she had a little protein in her urine. We would have to watch her closely.

Around 1 am, we saw much more restlessness and quiet moaning. Maryam would grab her back during a contraction. I started apply pressure on her lower back or squeezing her hips to help relieve her discomfort. The two men were busy playing video games on their cell phones. I guess some things are just universal!!!

We let Maryam push as she felt the need. No coaching, yelling or bright lights! So nice. The baby’s head slowly came out. The rest of the baby followed quickly. Time of birth 2:12 am Oct 27, 2009! We dried off the baby girl. She had a  nice strong cry. Banke and I tended to the baby. Her Apgars were 8 and 9. This is a scale to determine how well the baby is adapting to life outside the womb. She was doing great! We  tied off the cord with a fine string that had been soaked in alcohol (Spirits). Dr Ojo checked to make sure there were no more babies and gave Maryam 3 tablets of Misoprostel. This is a drug to help contract the uterus, deliver the placenta and prevent excessive bleeding. 

For the next two hours we continued to monitor Maryam and the baby.  They were doing well, so after cleaning up we went to bed at 4 am. I woke up at 6, checked Mom and baby were doing well. 

We had breakfast, saw 28 women in prenatal clinic and then went to discharge the new family. We did a discharge physical on both mother and baby and taught Maryam, her husband and the mother-in-law what to expect, when to return if certain signs developed, how to monitor the baby for dehydration and how to take care of the umbilical cord. We will see the baby back in 1 week. We will check her weight. Her birth weight was 2.3 kg - just a smidge over 5 pounds. She will get her BCG vaccine (to prevent TB), a Hepatitis B vaccine and her oral polio vaccine. Ideally, she would have received these right after birth but we have no refrigerator to store the vaccines so we have to get them from the clinic in Ikara and carry them in a cooler. Maryam will return for a check in 2 weeks.

We were all exhausted. So after pictures with the family, we sent them home in the ambulance (Maryam wasn’t quite ready to travel on the back of a motor bike), we all went to take a much deserved nap.

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Robin Jones, Registered Nurse and Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner, has been writing about her experiences in the Millennium Village of Pampaida in Zaria Nigeria. If you would like to make a donation to help mothers in poverty and support volunteers like Robin on our medical missions in Africa, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org. 

We have posted many stories from our recent medical mission to the Philippines. Our volunteers worked with patients in our on-going programs there, Walking Free and Seeing Clearly. Their trip was even more important because they were able to lend a hand with relief efforts in the aftermath of the typhoons that had hit the area only a week before. Ken Hudson, Physicians for Peace Gifts in Kind Manager, was there to witness a population bonding together in the face of loss and tragedy. He shares his personal story of what it was like trying to deliver food and water to families in need:

The first couple of days of our mission to the Philippines focused on the “Walking Free” program and how we could better meet the needs of its patients. We had visited the facilities at PGH (Philippine General Hospital) and Clark Air Field. Today would be different since we would be participating in a relief effort which is something that we normally do not do - Physicians for Peace is an organization that focuses primarily on medical education.

During this part of the mission we were supposed to visit the area of the Philippines called Northern Luzon.  Unfortunately we were not able to do so because of the damage that the area had sustained from typhoons Ondong and Pepeng. Lyne Abanilla, PFP’s representative on the ground in the Philippines, asked our team if we would like to help hand out relief supplies to victims of the recent flooding caused by the typhoons. The effort would be in Pasig which is part of Metro Manila. We jumped at the chance to help.

We meet Lyne at the Manila Bulletin which is where she works. The Manila Bulletin is the nation’s second oldest newspaper and claims the second largest circulation in the Phlippines. The paper is located in the historic Intramuros section of Manila.

When we arrive we are noisily greeted by a room full of volunteers that are busy packing the supplies that will be taken to Pasig. The volunteers include Rotarians, business owners, and doctors. The volunteers are eagerly making and packing peanut butter sandwiches. We quickly pitch in, and in no time everything is finished and ready for transport. Once loaded, we head for the police station to pick up our police escort and the truck that will transport the supplies and the volunteers.

Once we get to Pasig, we are greeted by our security escorts. Our truck that will carry the volunteers and supplies is a standard troop/personnel carrier. There will be seats for 8 people but about a dozen or so of the volunteers will have to stand up during the trip with only the wire from the surrounding cage to hang on to.

We are escorted by two police vehicles as we leave the compound. As we slowly make our way through traffic we notice that we are waved through at every intersection by the local traffic cops. Apparently word has been sent ahead in order to help ease our way through the heavy traffic.

The traffic, which is always backed up, becomes even harder to work our way through. We realize that this is due to the roads being closed due to the flooding and landslides. Then traffic comes to an abrupt halt. Right in front of us is a section of road that is completely submerged. Our escorts slowly ease their way through the water and for a while look as if they are getting ready to float away. We are nervous and are sure that they are not going to make it but eventually they are out of the water. As we inch our way forward, we are greeted by people in boats and tricycles. Some people are actually swimming or wading in the dirty water. To the left of us we notice personnel bridges made of two by fours supported by wooden bases that have been hastily constructed so that people can get in and out of the area. This is a scene that I had never witnessed and am once again awestruck at the ingenuity of the Filipino people.

Once we make it out of the water we arrive at our destination. Suddenly we are greeted by a large crowd that starts cheering and waving. These are the people that we have been sent to help.

Suddenly we are out of the truck and on the ground. The supplies are taken off of the truck and moved to a gymnasium that will be the main distribution point. There are also a large number of people in the gym. We are told that the people outside have suffered some damage to their homes but their homes are still habitable. The people inside the gym have lost most of their possessions and their homes were destroyed or almost completely destroyed.

While everyone is busy getting the supplies ready for distribution I grab my camera and spot a set of stairs inside the gym where I can get a few good pictures of what is going on inside. As soon as I get to the top of the stairs, a door flies open and I am greeted by a young man.  I realize that I am invading someone’s “home”. But instead of being angry, the young man asks if I can take a picture of his family. I agree and suddenly they are all in front of me eagerly posing for the camera. Once again, here is a family that instead of focusing on their terrible loss, are instead trying to have fun by posing for a picture.

I quickly turn around and start snapping pictures of the scene on the gym floor. The sight that appears before me is shocking. These are families that have been dislocated. It looks as if some of them had little or no time to grab anything of value. Dirty blankets and sheets have been erected in an attempt at privacy. Some of the people look as if they do not have any clean clothes. Children are running in and out of the makeshift dwellings playing and laughing. The crowd is starting to murmur with anticipation of a chance to receive some water and a little bit of food.

As I make my way to the floor and start walking in and out of the dwellings, I am greeted by calls of “hello sir”,  “good evening sir”, and “how are you doing sir”.  Everyone has a smile as I greet them.

After taking pictures for a few minutes I notice that Lyne has the volunteers ready to hand out the supplies to the people inside the gym. I run over and grab a big box of bottled water and drag it on the floor as someone else passes out the bottles. We are told to try to limit each family to one bottle. We need to make sure that everyone, including the people outside, receives their fair share of supplies. The first box empties rather quickly and then we start working on a second box of water. Suddenly people start running up to me and asking “tubig please”, water please. Though I know that every family should have received a bottle of water I cannot turn them down. What if their family is very large? How long has it been since they had fresh drinking water? What if they have small children? So I give them some more.  Once again I hear many “thank you sirs” and “salamat po”. Then I spot Doc Montero who is also busy handing out water. Someone is asking him to limit the amount of water that he is giving away. He shouts back that the children keep asking him for water and how can he turn them down. My thoughts exactly.

Eventually mats and blankets are also passed out. A small amount of cooked noodles and bread with peanut butter is given to each family. We are finished handing out supplies to the “residents” of the gym.

Now we shift to the people waiting outside. Everyone is standing in two lines. The supplies start moving down the line but we need to move a little quicker. These people have been waiting for quite some time and we want to make sure that they get their fair share. Lyne is urging everyone to move a little quicker. We certainly don’t want anyone to think that they are going to be left out. It seems that the supplies move a little quicker this time and before we know it we are finished. Through all of the commotion there is no pushing, shoving, fighting or cursing. Everyone is well-behaved and courteous.

Night has come, so we start to gather the few supplies that we have left and put them on the truck. As we make our way to the truck to leave we are greeted with “thank you ate” (older sister), “thank you kuya” (older brother), “thank you sir” or salamat po.  Some of the volunteers are on the truck. As I get ready to climb on I hear a child call out “tanapay sir”, “bread please sir”. I notice a box of bread at the end of the truck. I hand the little boy a roll. Then where there was one hand there are now two. So I hand out two more rolls. Now there are four more hands stretched out toward me, so I give up four more rolls. Now there are six and then eight more hands. So I hand out more bread. The people inside the truck are telling me that we need to leave because it is getting late. Suddenly there is a hand around my right arm and then one on my left. Then there is a hand from behind and then I am in the truck.

As we start to leave we pass by a crowd of people. Some of them are cheering while others are waving. I hear some goodbyes and few more salamats and then we are gone.

Our trip out of the flooded area is a bit quicker since it is late and there is a lot less traffic. Once again we receive a free pass because of our escort and because of our mission.

Once we arrive back at the police station it is decided that we will all meet somewhere to eat. We are all thirsty, hungry, and tired. The restaurant of choice is Jolibees. This is the Philippines version of KFC.

When I receive my order and start to eat, I can’t help but wonder how easy it is for me to take for granted that I have the ability to eat anything that I want at anytime but that there were going to be many mouths tonight that would not be fed. Even though I finish my meal, it seems that it is a little harder to swallow than usual.

P.S. - At some point during the relief mission in Pasig a woman handed me a note. The note had her name and phone number. On it she stated that her daughter had scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and asks for help. When I meet Dr. Pipo Bundoc the next day and ask him if he could help he tells me “I can do this”.  Once again our friends in the Philippines will come through.

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The work of Physicians for Peace to improve third world health care is vital to those in need. Find out more about our medical missions in the Philippines and how you can make a medical donation to support our international health programs there - visit www.physiciansforpeace.org 

Here is the lastest news from Robin Jones, a Registered Nurse and Women's Health Care Nurse Practioner, who is currently leading a team of Physicians for Peace volunteers on a mission to Zaria, Nigeria, to assist with work being done there as part of the United Nations Millennium Village Project. The core mission of the project is to help underserved regions of sub-Saharan Africa reach the Millennium Development Goals for ending poverty and improving maternal and child health by 2015. Physicians for Peace volunteers are working with local clinics to assist in midwifery education. This is an exciting look at the work being done daily to improve health care for women and children in this region...

Thursday, Oct 15, 2009

Greetings from Pampaida!

Wow! What a week! Monday, a woman came to the office in Zairia. She was introduced to me as a Midwife/Lecturer at the local Training Hospital. Dr. Woje asked that we meet and have open discussions and perhaps I could lecture with the students one day. We traveled over to the teaching hospital, where I was introduced to the Director of Midwifery and the Principal (Dean of Nursing Education). A meeting with the Faculty has been arranged for Friday (tomorrow) morning. I have also requested to spend a day following a midwife. I have drafted a list of questions for discussion. Also, I will ask their help in developing a Safe Childbirth Checklist.

Monday afternoon, in the middle of a rain storm, we headed out to Pampaida Village. There were 17 of us crammed in a small van, plus supplies. I did wear my seatbelt (ALWAYS!) The driving is a bit crazy. They use the horn all the time.

I settled in my room. I have a bed net here. No mosquito buzz attacks in the middle of the night. Banke, one of the nurses, has the other room on the women’s side of the quarters. She also does the cooking. She is an excellent cook. I have had French fries, fried yams, fried plantain, beef stew, spaghetti, rice, beans, greens, and melon and custard. My stomach hasn’t adjusted to the greens just yet. A sauce is made from sun-dried tomatoes and red peppers. It is put on rice, meat, vegetables and spaghetti. I am really enjoying the food. This morning for breakfast I have spaghetti with sardines and hash brown plantain. I was finally able to convince Banke to let me wash dishes. I told her the cook should rest after the meal and allow the ones she served, to serve her.

In clinic at MV1, Maru-a village Health Worker, has learned to do tummy checks. She measures the uterine height and also assesses how the baby is positioned so we know where to listen for the heart beat. She learned very quickly. Next week, I will work with Banke.  The Doppler is a hit with Dr. Oje. He works with the Doppler and I follow with the fetoscope to perfect my newly learned skill.  We have discussed the need to maintain the fetoscope skill as it is not dependant on batteries, nor does it have components that can break. The problems with technology...

In the late afternoons, Banke and I have been strolling through the village. The small children- toddlers are still frightened of the white skinned woman! The rest of the children flock around as they love having pictures snapped. I have to be careful - sometimes there is shoving to get attention and the littler one are pushed to the ground. I took pictures of the settlement-cooking, bedrooms, shops,etc. I have finally learned what millet is. It is a grain that grows on a stalk that looks similar to bamboo.  The grain grows on the top, similar to the tops of the corn stalk. When it is harvested, they beat the stalk to remove and collect the grain.

Today, we had our first training session. We discussed the reproductive system, fertilization and fetal development and prenatal care before the computer died. I have 4 students, one of which is a male. Lots of great questions were asked. We will continue on Monday.

I have enjoyed sleeping with a mosquito net. When I arrived back in Zairia, I was told they are going to put one up here also.  Not sure if it was the open spaces of the village or the net,but I certainly slept well there.

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Monday

Oct. 19, 2009

As another week begins, we will be heading out to Pampaida in the next hour. I will do another lecture today.  We will wrap up prenantal care-maybe even a quiz. Then we will go over the components of labor. Tomorrow, I will be working with Banke in the clinical setting-doing ‘tummy checks’.

This weekend was much better than last weekend. I spoke with Jeff on Friday via Skype, so the feelings of homesickness weren’t so bad.  Saturday, I did some laundry. Boy, did I take my washer and dryer for granted!  I used a bucket and a large bowl to wash the clothes.  I ran out of bottled water so I boiled the municipal water (when it was on). Even after 20 minutes of boiling there was still a dirty looking sediment. I only used it for cooking. I couldn’t bring myself to drink it.

I read 2 books this weekend and did some knitting.  My exercise routine is up to 20 laps around the compound, 30 toe touches, 50 sit-ups and 50 leg lifts a day.

Yesterday, Dr Woje and his family came by to take me to church.  The message was on willingly doing God’s work. Another timely message. The Sunday school lesson was on daily Bible reading and study.  Mrs. Woje (Hannah) was very disturbed that I only brought my little New Testament. She has lent me a Parallel Bible and also given me a Study Booklet.  She has invited me to go to a Revival Convocation in Kaduna the last weekend of the month. She is going to be the boost I need to become more disciplined in reading/studying the Bible!  After church, I was invited to have lunch with the family at their home.  I helped cut up cabbage for cole slaw.  The meal was wonderful-rice with the spicy red sauce, curry, fried plantain, cole slaw (not quite like ours) and paw-paw. It was my first time trying paw-paw.  It is almost like a cross between the mango fruit, papya and cantaloupe. Very good!  Dr Woje extended an invitation that I stay in their guest wing on the weekends. I thanked him, but declined.

His wife has a water filtering business next door to the house.  They take the municipal water and filter it through sand and ultraviolet filtration, then bag it in small bags. People bite a hole in the corner of the bag and can enjoy clean water. Quite impressive!  He dropped off about 50 bags last evening.  I will take about half out to the village with me.

I transferred another 180 pictures from my camera. Maybe Friday, the IT guys can show me how to attach/send them. Or I can figure out Flickr. 

Signing off until Thursday afternoon when I return to the city.

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Friday, Oct 23,2009

Greetings from Nigeria!

 

This was a very busy week. I taught Monday and Thursday. We covered labor and delivery and complications. They have grasped previous concepts well. I continually quiz them on things we have already covered. Prenatal clinic days  are Tuesday and Wednesday. The male student, Tajudeen, did  "tummy checks" with me on Tuesday. He did a very good job.  He also taught the  pregnant women about condom use. I know...too late to prevent pregnancy, but they are encouraging condom use to cut down on the HIV incidence. He always asks the most questions during class.

 

We had a little girl that the doctor thinks might have sickle cell disease. She was dehydrated, febrile and didn't make a sound when they put the IV in. By late afternoon, she had perked up and was eating without vomiting. They will send blood for Hgb electrophoresis.

  

On Wed, at the other clinic, we saw 52 pregnant women! The nurse was gone to a conference so the doctor and I were busy. We took Maru, another nurse, with us. One woman said she was 4 months pregnant, but we couldn't feel anything on palpation. Did a pregnancy test which was a very faint positive. So we will see her back in 4 weeks. Either she is newly pregnant or had a blighted ovum. Another thought she was 6 to 7 months but had no uterine enlargement above the umbilicus. There was a lot below-either twins- I heard heart tones in the right and left quadrants or the baby was transverse. We referred her for an ultrasound.

  

After clinic, I showed Maru and Tajudeen how to clean up - wash the exam table, doppler, tape measure and scale with alcohol. They are using hand sanitizer between each patient. I have enough to last a couple of months. We had an assistant clean cobwebs, wasp nests and mouse and lizard droppings from the exam room in Saulawa. I wanted to do it, but the doctor vetoed the idea. The clinic is scheduled for a renovation, but we need to have it as clean as we can for the sake of the patients.

   

I have been doing a lot of walking - through the village or just down the road. It feels good to move. I have watched the men play football a few times. (soccer) They sure are good at heading the ball and also lots of fancy footwork - even barefoot or in flip-flops. There is certainly that sense of competitiveness. I guess that is a universal trait among males!!!

  

Banke, my housemate in the village, is coming by to take me to the market today. I want to get some material and have an outfit or two made. It will be my first trip out. I need that. The weekends are the worst as far as homesickness goes. Today is the halfway mark. Part of me wants to leave today and the other part knows there is still much to do. 

    

We have 9 women at term at Saulawa clinic so I am hoping we are around for a couple so the nurses who haven't done deliveries get some experience before I leave. The goal is to have the women come to the clinics to deliver. I warned the doctor that change takes time. If the nurses can train the TBAs (Traditional birth attendants) in warning signs and when transfer to the clinic or hospital is appropriate, they may be more successful with their goals.

  

I showed my Breech delivery/Shoulder dystocia video yesterday. Dr Woje informed the staff that I would leave the video so they can review it whenever they want. Guess I will get another when I get home! I have been able to utilize my teaching powerpoints from school. Most of the time my computer battery lets me get through the lecture.

  

Banke has asked me to let her take notes from the powerpoints in the evening when we have generator power.  I will probably download my powerpoints on Dr Woje's computer or a flash drive if he has one. Also, he has asked me to download the soft copy of "A Book for Midwives." I told them we believe in See one, Do one, Teach one - so I expect everyone to pass on the knowledge they are obtaining.

  

I will talk with Bala today to see if he can arrange a visit with Biya Dogon before I leave. Dr Woje doesn't know the name.

 

That's about it for now. Have a great weekend!

 

Robin

_______________________________________________________________

We thank Robin for her excellent reports from the field, internet access permitting! If you would like to make a donation to help mothers in poverty and support volunteers like Robin on our medical missions in Africa, visit our web site atwww.physiciansforpeace.org.

Dr. Ruffin (left) at the APROQUEN Burn Unit in Nicaragua.

Vivian Pellas, burn survivor and founder of the Association for the
Burned Children of Nicaragua.

In recognition of its 20th anniversary, Physicians for Peace is honoring 20 Health Care Heroes in 2009, individuals who embody the organization's mission and goals to teach, heal, and empower both patients and caregivers. The Physicians for Peace Burn Care Program is a true success story in changing lives and building health care capacity for countries in need. We would like to honor Dr. Willcox Ruffin and Ms. Vivian Pellas as 20th Anniversary Care Heroes for their roles in the creation of this program which has helped so many individuals heal from the trauma of burn injury.  

The Burn Care Program was conceived when Physicians for Peace founder Dr. Charles E. Horton, Sr. visited Nicaragua in 1992.  Based on the medical education needs he identified, a team of plastic surgeons, including Dr. Willcox Ruffin, traveled to Managua and Leon in 1994. Dr. Ruffin, a devoted plastic surgeon, has served as Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Sentara Hospitals, Chief of Plastic Surgery at the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, and Director of the Burn Unit at Norfolk General Hospital. He has helped countless patients through his work with Physicians for Peace, and now retired from medical practice, serves on its Board of Trustees.

His purpose on that first mission to Managua was to advance medical expertise in the management of burn care, and to upgrade patient care within a burn unit built by the founder of Asociación Pro-Niños Quemados de Nicaragua (APROQUEN), Ms. Vivian Pellas. Vivian, a burn survivor herself, has devoted her life to improving the quality of care for burn victims in Nicaragua. The facility Vivian Pellas has helped to build, with the knowledge and support of plastic surgeons like Dr. Ruffin, has been able to treat tens of thousands of patients in need. With partners like Vivian, Physicians for Peace has been able to help burn clinics in other Central American countries provide better care and prevention for burns. 

 

The Burn Care Program has continued to grow and expand to include not only training and education, but the establishment of an international burn consortium. APROQUEN is now one of 19 equal partner organizations that comprise the Asociación Centroamericana y del Caribe de Quemaduras (Central American and Caribbean Burn Association) in six countries (Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.) This Association was formed in 2006 by Physicians for Peace and is dedicated to advancing pediatric burn care in Central America and the Caribbean through training, knowledge exchange, and global collaboration.

You can ensure that this program, started with the compassion and cooperation of Dr. Ruffin and Vivian Pellas, continues to help third world countries treat and prevent burn injuries and help burn victims heal. By contributing to our volunteer medical missions and international health programs, you help bring healing to a suffering world. 

Make your donation today!

 

Ken Hudson, our Gifts in Kind manager, is currently in the Philippines helping out with our on-going programs there, which include Walking Free and Seeing Clearly. His first observations on the ground show why Physicians for Peace is there and the importance of the work of our volunteers...

 

"I was excited to be on my first mission since joining Physicians for Peace in May 2005, and looking forward to participating in a medical mission trip to the Philippines. 

 

Doctor Montero arrived to pick up John Knight, John Knight’s dad, Henry, and myself and then we were off to meet Penny and Pipo Bundoc and Lyne Abanilla at Philippine General Hospital for a guided tour.

 

While I cannot do justice to what I saw with words or pictures I will do my best to provide an overall sense of what is being accomplished there.

 

The main focus of the tour was the prosthetics clinic where the bulk of the work for the “Walking Free” program in Manila takes place.  While Penny and Pipo gave me an education as to their primary needs in the shop they also took the time to introduce some of their patients. 

 

I met  Lea Redreno, who suffers from congenital deformities on every limb.  Lea is working at the “Walking Free” clinic, helping maintain it’s inventory and organization. Lea has a beautiful smile and a great personality even though she has suffered from many personal hardships.

 

Then I had the pleasure of meeting Herbert Renuda, who at the young age of 15 was being fitted for an above the knee prosthesis at the hip. While being fitted, Herbert displayed maturity beyond his years.

 

Then I met several young amputees that also had appointments at the clinic who all had positive attitudes and big smiles for everyone they met.

 

This is proof once again that the Physicians for Peace team and our great volunteers such as Doctor Montero and Lyne Abanilla continue to do great work.

 

After visiting the “Walking Free” area, Penny and Pipo decided to give us a tour through the rest of the hospital. 

 

What I saw was something that I have never witnessed. I saw a hospital that is bursting at the seams. Wherever I went there were extremely long lines of sick people waiting for help.  As soon as you walked into the main screening area you could see that the system was overwhelmed. 

 

One of the scenes was of a woman leaning over her mother who was laying on a cot in pain.  She was busily trying to use a paper fan to try to cool her while her tears were falling as she wondered what illness she was suffering from. I came upon another family that was trying to comfort a young girl that they had barely saved from slipping into a coma. Her supply of insulin had run out, and they were not able to get to Manila in time because of the recent flooding and landslides that had been caused by Typhoons Ondong and Ppepeng. The young physician in training assured me that her patient would probably recover, but that she had suffered a great deal.

 

Particularly troublesome were the number of very young children that I saw that were waiting for treatment. It is hard to say how many there were but virtually all available space was occupied.  The illnesses of these children could range from the common cold to more serious illnesses. 

 

Through all of this, the hard working and dedicated medical professionals like Penny and Pipo and our great volunteers Doctor Montero and Lyne Abanilla impressed me with their great attitudes and their hard work. This is the one piece of the thread that keeps things running at this hospital.

 

Additionally what was perhaps the most inspiring part of what I saw was to witness the strength and courage of the families that stood watch over their loved ones while waiting for help without a single complaint. I will never forget what I saw today, and this experience makes me want to do everything that I can to help the people of the Philippines."

You can join Ken in supporting our medical missions in the Philippines - Donate medical equipment or donate medical supplies to our Gifts in Kind Program, or make a monthly gift by becoming a Partner for Peace... To find out the many ways you can support our medical volunteer work, visit http://www.physiciansforpeace.org/ways-to-give.html 

Robin Jones, a Registered Nurse and Women's Health Care Nurse Practioner, is currently on a mission to Zaria, Nigeria, to assist with work being done there as part of the United Nations Millennium Village Project. The core mission of the project is to help underserved regions of sub-Saharan Africa reach the Millennium Development Goals for ending poverty and improving maternal and child health by 2015. 

Robin will be working with local clinics to provide education so that those who are assisting during labor will have the knowledge they need to help prevent trauma to the mother and protect the health of the baby. She will also lay the groundwork for future missions in midwifery training to increase the number of qualified midwives available to expectant mothers. 

Robin sends us her first impressions of Pampaidas and the progress being made there: 

Day 1 -

Hi!

  I finally arrived in Nigeria yesterday at 11 am. We had a 3 1/2 hr drive to Zaria, where the Pampaidas Millenium Project offices are located. I checked into a hotel for 2 nights.  The accomodations are meager but sufficient. Water was off until this morning and electricity is sporadic. The 24 hr internet cafe was locked up. But the office has wireless, so I will be able to keep in touch with those in the States!

I was given an overview of the Millenium Village project this morning, watched a documentary of the project and met with the various directors.

 

There are roughly 5,000 people in Pampaidas village. Seventy percent of the village are below the poverty level (live on < $1 US/day) The areas being addressed over this 5 year project are
 

    1. Education- the children are educated from grades 1-6. They are working at ensuring the girls, as well as boys, attend school. Each child is given a backpack with books, paper and pencils. School furniture was obtained and they are completing the building of a school kitchen. Each child is guaranteed one meal a day at school.

      Goal: to sensitize parents on the need of school enrollments

 

    2.  Health- they now have 2 operating clinics.  Last week the clinics saw 221/158 patients.  Total antenatal care was 15/24 with 4/8 new OB patients.   .

       a. Outpatient consultations- provide basic PHC (Public Health Care ) services to all villagers; treatment of common diseases; provide short-term in-patient care.

       b.  Antenatal care - to provide routine prenatal monitoring including interventions such as deworming, IPT  Iron/folate and vitamin A supplementations.

        c.  Child welfare clinic where basic immunizations, growth monitoring, Vit. A supplements are provided. Deworming and treatment of  common nutrition/infection related illnesses are treated. 

       d.  Outreach activities- provision of proximity interventions that target families in their homes, build trust and ownership throughout the communities, and address cultural beliefs and socio-economic and behavioral barriers to care.

     I will tour the village and clinics tomorrow and meet with the clinic staff to formulate the needs/teaching plan.  I am excited to get started.

 

    3..  Gender and Community Mobilization- to mobilize the community (men and women) for farmer field day and to mobilize community clusters for training in agriculture and business development.

 

    4.  Water and Sanitation- 23 wells have been dug and capped to provide clean water with easy access, Latrines are being built.

   

    5.  Agricultural Business development and environment- on-going improvement and training on agriculture and business; develop receipts for repayments of loans; Improve on grains banking; increase fish farming activity and business; encourage home gardening to improve nutrition; start stocking agro input supply centerwithin cluster.

 

    6.  Infrastructure- receive materials for completion of work on poultry houses and agro processing centers.

 

   As you can see, a lot is happening here in the Millenium Village Project. I am excited to be a part of helping this village to become healthier, more educated and sustainable. I will try to send frequent updates

 

 

Peace on Earth Begins with Birth!

Blessings!

Robin

Day 2 - 
 

My body is still on US time so sleep is quite elusive.  When the electricity is up, I read. Currently I am reading Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson.  It is about an American who decided to build a school in the mountains of Pakistan.  It is amazing what people can do when they put others before their own comfort. When the electricity is down, I have been listening to my IPod- music or audiobooks.

 

Last night I had my first full “splash bath”. You fill a bucket with water (cold), use a bowl to splash water on yourself, soap up, and then splash to rinse. It felt good to cool off. Much better than the Baby wipe bath the day before!  When finished, you mop the bathroom floor of all the water you splashed!

 

For breakfast, I had bread with peanut butter. I remembered to take my weekly Malaria Prophylaxis today. Several mosquitoes have already dined on me, so I don’t want to take any chances!

 

Last night I plugged my phone in at the office to recharge. When I walked in this morning, they turned the generator on. I heard a POP! And saw flames shooting out of my adapter/converter. That is now fried. The phone is OK but didn’t charge. I brought 2 adapters so I was able to get the phone charged. Glad I brought two.  I may have to get another locally!

 

Today we were at MV2 doing prenatal care. I worked with Hadassah, the midwife. Unfortunately, she said the BP cuff didn’t work. Dr. Oje had the Doppler at the other clinic, so while we waited for him, I did the weights, tummy checks, and improved my skills with the fetoscope.  Dating is difficult as women do not use calendars as we know them and most today had no idea how far along they were. Babies come when they come.  So the pregnancy wheels I made will be of little use.  We just measure the belly and see if there are appropriate changes in size and weight between visits.

 

I taught Dr. Oje how to use the Doppler. It is just an $80 model off E-Bay but it works well.  He was amazed when we found heart tones on a 14 week fetus.. Yesterday he wore and changed gloves between each woman. I have just used hand sanitizer between patients as we only do external exams.  I will bring extra for the clinics next time. Gloves seem to be a bit much just for measurements!

 

We had one girl, about 15 or 16 years old here with her first pregnancy.  They explained that she is of Low IQ, as is her husband.  She was very anxious, but we were able to get her calmed down and check the baby.

 

There is a lot of anemia due to the poor nutritious quality of the diets.  The primary stable is maize (corn) They grind it up and make a cereal or paste.  All the women are given iron supplements and also folate (B vitamin).  I saw several women with Vit B deficiency.  They develop cracks in the corners of their lips.
 

They admitted a young child to the ward who was having a seizure.  They gave her IV medications to stop the seizure.  The doctor felt it was a febrile seizure as a result of malaria. I said a short prayer for her.  

 

The staff are teaching me short phrases “senu de zwa” means Welcome; “Na Gode” is Thank you,” "Ina quana” is good morning and “Sa hanjuma” means See you later.  I hope to add a phrase or two each day. At my age, I can only retain small amounts with lots of repetition.  I am learning so much from them. I hope when we formally start classes, they will learn from me.

 

We will have a meeting with the health workers tomorrow to set up a class schedule that won’t interfere with the clinic work. Today, the doctor, midwife and I were a very efficient team. Between 11 and 1:30, we saw around 30 women. The midwife documented while the doctor and I did the exam.  Team work is great.  I will also poll them to see how they want to proceed with the classes. I think we will start with prenatal and move on from there. If a delivery comes in, we will immediately do “on-the-job training.”

 

Time to go to my room and relax a bit. I hope all is well back in the States.

 

From Nigeria,

Robin

We look forward to hearing more from Robin as we receive her reports from the field! If you would like to make a donation to help mothers in poverty and support our medical missions in Africa, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org.

 

According to the Global Health Council, each year 10.1 million children under the age of five die; many because of lack of access to medical care.  

Baby Hazel was almost one of those statistics.

 

It was the end of a long day of medical volunteer work for the Physicians for Peace doctors in Metro Manila, Philippines, when a mother carrying her two year old daughter came through the doors of the My Children’s House of Hope medical clinic. This two year old child quickly became affectionately known by Physicians for Peace volunteers as Baby Hazel.

 

Baby Hazel had a tumor on her back the size of a watermelon and her head was swollen with excessive fluids.  The tumor was so large that Baby Hazel could not sit up.

 

My Children’s House of Hope was a dream of Rev. Joe McGourn to provide medical care to some of the most impoverished children in the Philippines.  Several Physicians for Peace doctors and nurses volunteer their time to operate the clinic and care for the patients.  The clinic, which sits right next to the largest dump in Asia, truly offers a house of hope to those that enter the doors.  The doctors at House of Hope are accustomed to seeing patients with serious medical conditions due to inconsistent access to proper medical care.

 

But, Baby Hazel was different. “The kid was a fighter,” witnessed Rev McGourn.

 

Her mother wept as the doctors told her that Baby Hazel needed a shunt or she wouldn’t make it.  The $5,000 price tag of the shunt was an impossibly mountain for this impoverished family to climb.  Where would they get the money to save Baby Hazel?

 

“It was Physicians for Peace to the rescue again,” McGourn excitedly and passionately exclaimed.

 

Physicians for Peace Board Member, Dr. Juan Montero and Physicians for Peace Philippines Chairman of the Board, Dr. Ted Herbosa knew exactly what to do.  Physicians for Peace would provide Baby Hazel with the life-saving shunt.

 

Before Baby Hazel could go in for surgery, she had to fight a lengthy battle of fevers and infections.  But, finally the long-awaited day came.

 

Three days after her surgery, Baby Hazel was out of the hospital.  Now, she’s a smiling, laughing, happy and vibrant 4-year-old.

 

“If it weren’t for Physicians for Peace, she [Baby Hazel] would not be alive today,” McGourn proudly expressed.

 

Baby Hazel’s story is one of many written by Physicians for Peace mission teams around the globe.  In our 20^th Anniversary year, we are celebrating the completion of over 540 teaching and healing missions in 50+ countries.  

 

We’d like to extend to you a special invitation to help the next Baby Hazel by joining us as a Partner for Peace.  The Partner’s for Peace monthly giving program was developed for friends like you.  By joining the cause as a Partner for Peace, you can help provide quality medical care and training to those in need around the world.

 

Your monthly pledge is important to Physicians for Peace as it provides a guarantee of steady and predictable funds at a much lower cost than other methods of fundraising.  Your monthly gift of $15, $25, $50, $100 or more will help ensure those with unmet medical needs will receive access to quality medical care.

 

Every $1 donated to Physicians for Peace generates $8 in additional cash and in-kind essential medicines and supplies to help those in need and improve third world health care. 

 

Won’t you please support our international health programs by joining this very special program as a Partner for Peace? Monthly giving is easy, convenient and saves lives!

Find out more about the benefits of becoming a member...

Join Today!

Since 2006, Physicians for Peace volunteers Dr. Chris Walters and Dr. Keith Goss, have been traveling to Eritrea to perform limb salvage and limb reconstruction surgeries. They have devoted their time, skills, and resources to these surgery missions, helping people with limb deformities and injuries from accidents and disease and giving them the freedom to live normal lives, support their families, and care for their children. 

Now Drs. Walters and Goss and their team are on a mission to bring a type of equipment to Eritrean hospitals which will dramatically improve treatment capabilities and help many patients avoid painful disabilities. When they return to Eritrea in October, they hope to establish a SIGN surgical system, which will allow physicians to radically improve the way they treat patients. Instead of putting fracture patients in traction, potentially causing permanent disability, the SIGN model provides education, training, and orthopedic implants to surgeons, improving the quality of care and allowing patients to heal properly.  help us donate medical equipment - 

Help us donate medical equipment. This system will help countless people avoid needless suffering, but it is not free. Our volunteers need $20,000 to bring this much needed technology to Eritrea. 





Learn more about Dr. Goss and his team and their medical volunteer work at www.limbrescueinternational.org


Find out about Physicians for Peace surgery missions at www.physiciansforpeace.org/surgery.html 

Physicians for Peace is proud to announce the recipient of the third annual Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for Global Health: ONE. 

ONE is a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Co-founded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE works closely with African policy makers and anti-poverty activists to raise awareness and mobilize public opinion in support of tested and proven methods of tackling poverty and disease. Among many of its accomplishments, ONE was responsible for getting the G8 to direct an additional $25 billion in effective assistance to Africa by 2010. 
 

“ONE is deeply honored to receive the Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for Global Health, an award whose namesake continues to inspire action and hope in the fight against global poverty and disease,” said Sheila Nix, ONE’s U.S. Executive Director.  “Today, effective advocacy is more important than ever in supporting results-driven efforts that fight poverty, combat preventable disease, put children in school, and create economic opportunity for the world’s poor.  As exemplified by organizations like Physicians for Peace, huge advances against disease and poverty are being made every day, thanks to smart programs and strong local leadership in developing countries.  We are humbled to join the ranks of former award recipients Senator Bill Frist and Professor Jeffrey Sachs, and we thank Physicians for Peace for this honor.” 

The Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for Global Health is bestowed in honor of the late Physicians for Peace founder, Charles E. Horton, M.D. Horton, an internationally recognized humanitarian, founded Physicians for Peace in 1989. Through Dr. Horton’s leadership, our organization has touched the lives of thousands of patients and doctors in more than 50 countries around the world. 

  

“Dr. Horton was an articulate advocate for the vulnerable populations of the world,” noted Physicians for Peace President and CEO, Ron Sconyers, Brigadier General (USAF Ret.). “He used his voice to rally the medical community to take their healing and teaching skills where they were needed the most. ONE has been able to use its voice to help bring balance and stability to a world that has neither. We are extremely honored to recognize ONE for its many accomplishments in offering hope to those who need it most – the poor and the vulnerable."

ONE will receive the award during the Physicians for Peace "Celebrate the Nations" Gala Reception on October 3rd in Virginia Beach, Va. For more information about the Gala event, go to www.physiciansforpeace.org/events.html

To learn more about Physicians for Peace medical volunteer work and international health programs, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org

For more information about ONE, visit www.one.org

Read the ONE blog...

Dr. Fred Ward, a long-time Physicians for Peace volunteer, recently traveled to Libya to visit several hospitals and a medical school to identify education and training needs in a variety of medical fields. The following is part of Dr. Ward's report from Libya on the places he visited and the people he met along the way...

This morning we first go to Jamhouriyh (Republic) Hospital. The hospital in Benghazi is a 260 bed facility and the director is Dr. A. F. Zaied, a nephrologist. He was most gracious and made several phone calls to set us up to see others who he thought needed our help. He expressed needs for help in the following areas: pediatric nephrology, emergency medicine, congenital anomalies, and pediatric advanced life support.

Then off to LIMU, Libyan International Medical University.  There we were greeted by Dr. Mohamed Saad Ambarek, an orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Ambarek was trained in England and Scotland.  We have a very detailed tour of the campus.  The organization is a private not-for-profit institution. They have had teachers from Italy, Germany and England.  He says he would be most happy to add the U.S. to their list of those helping them to provide international health education. The school is of the finest quality and has all the basic laboratories, etc.  He admits they have a lot of growing to do.  They are in just their second year.  In talking with Dr Ambarek we concluded that the best way to reach the largest number of physicians would be with a conference.  They have a beautiful space which will accommodate 250 physicians.  Their desires are: general medicine, medical curriculum, advanced life support, and nephrology. He presented me with a medallion for the humanitarian work that Physicians For Peace does.

Our first appointment on Wednesday is at Elfateh Children Hospital.  We are greeted by the Director, Dr. Abdussalam A. Elshakmak. All the departments are well covered, but with minimal equipment.  For instance, in the microbiology laboratory they only have two microscopes. They seem to have a rather high incidence of birth trauma, about 6:300 births.  We saw three children in physical therapy who had upper extremity nerve damage.  Two had had nerve transplant surgery and were doing very well.  The PT people seemed very dedicated to their work. The doctor expressed an urgent need for teaching in genetic defects, especially metabolic defects.  Also, there is a need for pediatric surgery, hematology, and nephrology.

On to Tobruk, our next visit is The Medical Center Batnan, a large complex which incorporates an older unit with a releative new section.  The most impressive thing about the place is how clean it is in every respect.  The medical director is Dr. Saeed H. Ali, a Koln University trained pediatrician and EEG specialist. The staff is very enthusiastic and we had a very long conversation with the head of the department of Obstetrics.  They have about 45,000 births per year, which is astounding.  They have many staff, but not enough and not well enough trained.  We met a pediatrician who is from Egypt, who comes over about one a month for one week. The areas of interest at Medical Center Batnan: hematology, pediatric surgery, nephrology and genetic defects.

 

Thanks to Dr. Ward's visit, plans are now in the works for future medical mission trips to provide education for medical students, as well as specialized training to help doctors in Libya better care for their patients. 

You can support the medical volunteer work of Physicians for Peace, improving medical care and building friendships around the world... Give today!

The first photos are coming in of our specialized surgery mission to the West Bank earlier this month. This volunteer medical mission broke new ground in many areas for local medical professionals, including Advanced Trauma Life Support training and reconstruction surgery. Our volunteers were also able to perform plastic surgery operations for many patients in need. Here are some of the amazing children they were able to help...



Eenas, 5 year old girl from Barjas Village - pharangeal flap surgery and lip revision.





Hala, 11 month old girl from Hebron-Aroob refugee camp - wide cleft palate.





Tarek Abdul Khaleis, 14 year old boy from Bait Reeman village, injured by a grenade on his way to school - revision and graft surgery.

More photos and stories to come from this important mission...

Thanks to your donations, Physicians for Peace volunteers were able to provide these children with much-needed care they may otherwise not have received. Thanks to your support, this surgery mission helped dozens of patients and provided important training for local medical professionals, enabling them to save more lives. Your gift helps us bring peace and healing to children like these all over the world - 

Support Physicians for Peace today!

The country of Eritrea, in the horn of Africa, suffers from a severe shortage of doctors, especially pediatricians and surgeons. With close to half of the population under 14 years of age, and only a handful of pediatricians to serve them, many children remain without access to proper medical care. Yet great strides have been taken to remedy this problem, thanks to the dedication of the Eritrean people and the help of The George Washington University Medical Center, Physicians for Peace, and the Eritrean Ministry of Health. 

As part of our 20th Anniversary series honoring the exceptional work of our medical volunteers, we would like to put the spotlight on five women who have been devoted to establishing post-graduate medical education in Eritrea, and who have worked to make the The Partnership for Eritrea an example that others can follow...



Dr. Jennifer Egelseer (above), the first pediatrician of the group to visit Eritrea, had very little experience in medical mission work, but was quickly won over by the people of Eritrea and recognized the needs in the country.




Dr. Margot Anderson (above) became involved in the project following years of work in health care in the developing world, particularly in Laos.



Dr. Fatima Khambaty (above), a surgeon with mission experience in Ghana and Liberia, also decided to help with the project.

These three women developed post-graduate medical education programs in surgery and pediatrics to be conducted at the Orotta School of Medicine in Eritrea’s capital of Asmara.  In a country where the health care system has been wracked by a war of independence and no medical school existed until 2004, they became the first post-graduate faculty as part of the Partnership for Eritrea, a collaboration between The George Washington University Medical Center, the Eritrean Ministry of Health, and Physicians for Peace. In conjunction with these new partners, they built new residency programs from the ground up to address the urgent need for doctors. 

In the United States, two other heroes are the glue that makes this Partnership work - 

Dr. Ellie Hamburger (above), in the Department of Pediatrics at George Washington University and an attending physician in the Pediatric Residency Program at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., has gone above and beyond the call, totally committing to making the pediatrics residency program in Eritrea the benchmark for Africa.  




Dr. Huda Ayas (above), Executive Director of The George Washington University Medical Center’s International Medicine Programs, whose passion for this project has helped it become what it is today - a program which provides care for thousands as it serves as a model of workforce development and international health education. 

 

The Partnership has seen great success and plans to graduate the first class of pediatricians in December, 2009, and surgeons in 2010. They have also expanded to new medical specialties, adding an Obstetrics and Gynecology program this year with the help of Columbia University. There are plans with Yale University to launch an Internal Medicine program in 2010. We congratulate the women who have worked so hard over the last several years to make this dream a reality for both the medical students and the people of Eritrea who need their care. Find out more at www.partnershipforeritea.org

You can be a part of this exciting opportunity to build the future of medical care in Erirea - Your gift to the Partnership Program helps an Eritrean medical student receive training in his own country and gives the people of Eritrea a chance to get the medical care they need...

Please support the Partnership today! 

For more information about Physicians for Peace medical volunteer work and international health programs visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org

This blog entry was contributed by Dr. Nabeel Qureshi, a recent medical school graduate who served as an intern for Physicians for Peace in his last year at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Nabeel's contribution to the Resource Mothers Program was significant. As a student of psychiatry, he was able to provide training on two very important and difficult aspects of women's health - depression and domestic abuse. He had this to say about his experience: 

"I made my decision to work with Physicians for Peace last year when I was being introduced to the fourth year MD curriculum. In the catalog was a section on "International Medicine". I talked with Dr. Paul Aravich and Jaya Tiwari, and I decided that a medical mission trip in international health education would be a great fit for my future medical endeavours. No matter what I end up doing in the medical field, I hope to take that knowledge and help people around the world. 

Before starting work this March, I talked with Jaya Tiwari and Mary Kwasniewski, Directors of Global Health Programs at Physicians for Peace, and we decided that working with the Resource Mothers program in Santo Domingo would be a great idea. It had come to their attention that the women in Santo Domingo were having difficulty dealing with domestic abuse issues with their clients, and that they needed training with how to respond. I gathered information in English and in Spanish and put together a two hour workshop on domestic abuse training.

Before arriving in Santo Domingo, I did one week of medical mission work in Honduras. While there, I noticed that people suffering from depression received very little help, despite the pervasive effect this disease has on one's life. I began brainstorming on how this problem could be addressed, and decided the best place to start would be with diagnosing the condition and educating the people whom it affects. So when I arrived in the Dominican Republic, my focus became not only to identify domestic abuse and discuss it with the Resource Mothers, but also to determine the extent of depression amongst these women and their clients.

In Santo Domingo, I visited each client's home one at a time, documenting the location of the homes via GPS and taking pictures of the women standing outside of their residences. This was to help locate all the clients on a map to better serve them and to be able to show the work that Physicians for Peace is doing in a more tangible manner. I also wanted to get to know the clients and have a better understanding of their living situation. During this time, I also translated the World Health Organization's Major Depression Inventory into Spanish and administered it to the Resource Mothers. This inventory does two things: definitively diagnoses depression, and also determines the severity of the depression. Of course, the translation was not sanctioned by the WHO, but it was as good as we could do. In addition to the administration of the MDI, we also trained the Resource Mothers on depression and post-partum depression, as well as domestic violence. 

Traveling to the Dominican Republic and working with Ramon Lopez, Director of the Americas for Physicians for Peace, was a great experience. My eyes were opened to the conditions of people who truly are in need, and also to my condition of luxury in the States. After spending a week visiting all the clients, I had no doubt in my mind that Physicians for Peace was doing an amazing service in their lives and the lives of their new children, a service that would continue to benefit these families for their entire lifetimes. I will not soon forget the stories, the emotions, and the relationships that I experienced in this vibrant and life-loving culture."

We thank Nabeel for his work in this area of need in and helping women understand and diagnose the disease of depression in an area of the world where this problem is often overlooked. Addressing the problems of depression and domestic violence is crucial to our mission of improving third world health care and helping mothers in poverty. 

To learn more about our Resource Mothers Program, visit www.physiciansforpeace.org/wch.html

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