November 1, 2011

Today our team was scattered.  Four team members went to Cure hospital and did five ear surgeries.  Four of us went to Black Lion to do a tonsillectomy and an ear surgery, three went to the School for the Deaf to examine the children and do audiograms and fit molds for hearing aids. 

Street Scene Outside of a Church

While at Black Lion, we met up with a team from Seattle that included anesthesiologists, OR and PACU nurses, surgical techs and an ENT and general surgeon.  We had corresponded with them but had not met them before.  We jointly shipped some equipment in the past.  They have been coming about the same number of times we have but often for longer trips.  We also met with three volunteer anesthesia providers from Health Volunteers Overseas.    

Neonatal Unit, Black Lion Hospital

Dr. Glenn and Ethiopian ENT residents operating

The groups are really working hard to improve the level and quality of anesthesia and surgery care at Black Lion, the major University teaching hospital.  There are now five anesthesia residents in the country instead of only two!  Most of the more than 100 programs in the US have more than five residents.   

The Seattle group has also worked very hard to provide and upgrade some of the anesthesia equipment including setting up a recovery room.   The improvements in equipment and teaching are quite noticeable since our first visit.

Baby after surgery

While waiting to visit the Hamlin Fistula hospital, we stopped at Kaldi’s coffee which looks like a Starbucks coffee shop. 

Some of us went to visit the Hamlin Fistula hospital which is a hospital dedicated to caring for women who have complications of childbirth.  Obstructed labor with no access to emergency obstetric care leaves thousands of women throughout the developing world with fistulae and horrific injuries.  They can only be cured by surgery.  The incidence of this in the US is almost none though it was prevalent in the mid 1800s before modern OB care.  The Hamlin Fistula hospital has treated more than 35,000 women.  If you have read Cutting for Stone, it contains a similar story.

Our team went to a Korean restaurant for dinner