Home Sweet Home!

Rwanda

Rwanda

December 7, 2018

The COSECSA, ASAP and Rwandan Society of Anesthesiologists meeting was a great success.  It was wonderful to see old friends, meet people in person, and make new friends.  We had lots of great conversations about how to try to meet the need for Safe Surgery and Anesthesia around the world.

Kigali is a beautiful city.  It has been warm and sunny and doesn’t quite seem like December.

I visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial this afternoon, and it is a sobering reminder of the need for love, peace and justice in the world.  We have a lot of work to do.

It has been a wonderful trip to Africa!  May there be many more to come!

Ethiopia 2018

December 4, 2018

We had a full day today!

OR at Cure with 12 orthopedic, plastic and ENT cases.  We had a visiting Ethiopian ENT resident and an Ethiopian Anesthesiology resident who will spend the month at Cure.  One of our ENT physicians also did 2 cases at a government hospital.  Two members of our anesthesia team gave lectures at St. Paul’s, and the audiology team screened patients and their parents at the school for the Deaf.  Some of the ENT team members did a hands-on clinical skills lab at Black Lion for the Ethiopian ENT residents.

We are continuing to build our relationships and collaborations for future work, both educational and clinical.

Tonight I am traveling to the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa for their annual meeting which will include Anesthesiologists from other parts of Africa and the world to discuss ways to improve access to care and education for surgery and anesthesia.

The rest of the team will continue their good work!

December 3, 2018

Yesterday I had dinner with a dear Ethiopian anesthesiologist friend and her husband and children.  It is such a joy to see my Ethiopian colleagues growing professionally and doing so well!  The mood around the city is good, and it was nice to be out and about.  Most of the rest of the team had dinner together at the hotel.

We had a full and varied day today.  I spent the day in the Cure OR helping provide anesthesia care for 10 patients for orthopedic and plastic surgery.  Some of the orthopedic surgeons are away this week at a conference, so it is a good week for our team to be here.  Unfortunately it is a relatively common thing for children to get burned by cooking stoves and fires here.  Some of the burns are quite significant and require extensive care and frequent visits to the OR.  The other two members of the anesthesia team visited two local government hospitals to give some lectures and tour and meet with the local anesthesiologists.

The ENT surgeons were busy seeing patients in clinic at Cure and a local government hospital.  The audiology team was busy seeing patients at Cure to support the ENT team and as follow up from previous visits.  We scheduled surgery for this week and will have plenty to keep the team busy.

There were several routine types of patients but also several with advanced severe disease such as tumors and infections.  Although we are able to provide more sophisticated care than is often available here, there are somethings that just can’t be fully treated.  We are working with the local ENT residents and faculty, and it is good to be able to continue to support and help them.  There are always some sad and sobering realities in this type of setting.

We’ll have dinner together tonight and prepare for ORs tomorrow and a day at the School for the Deaf.

Ethiopia December 2018

December 2, 2018

This is my 18^th trip to Ethiopia with Healing the Children, Greater Philadelphia!

Our team is comprised of members from around the US and the world, and we have now all arrived.

We have 8 ENT surgeons, 3 Anesthesiologists, 3 Audiologists and 2 support/administrative people.  They hail from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Texas, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Delaware, California, and The Netherlands.  Many of the team members have been here before.

Today is mostly a rest day and getting organized for tomorrow.  Some of us went to church, some to drop off equipment and supplies at Cure, and some went sight-seeing.  It is a beautiful, warm sunny day – Ethiopia has many days like this!

There continues to be much growth in Addis.  Sundays are often a bit quieter with less traffic and smog. 

Tomorrow we will have ENT clinics, some anesthesia lectures and help in the Cure OR.

On the road again.

Ethiopia here we come!
Visit #18!

Daffodils in London!

April 12-13

The week was full and flew by!

Our team of ENT physicians operated on 13 patients, and the Ethiopian ENT physicians joined in during the surgical care.  They saw at least 90 patients in clinics at Cure, a local government hospital and at the School for the Deaf.  They did an entire day of laboratory and simulation based training for the Ethiopian ENT residents.

The anesthesiologists participated in the care for all of the surgical patients at Cure including the ENT patients and orthopedic patients, at least 60 in total.  We gave lectures for three different groups of anesthesia providers at three different locations.

The audiology team cared for and evaluated patients at Cure and students at the School for the Deaf and did audiograms for 50 patients and fit hearing aids, including for an 11 month-old child who had never been able to hear before.

We were able to meet with leaders in ENT and Anesthesiology to discuss on-going relationships for education and clinical teaching for the future.

There was a trip to the local cultural restaurant for traditional food, music and dancing; there was shopping; there was coffee buying.

I left a day early to attend a meeting in London of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA), of which I am a committee member as we continue to work towards ways to provide safe surgery and anesthesia around the world.

The Philadelphia based team-members traveled home together and we were greeted by a beautiful 80 degree spring day!  Sunday was cold, rainy and windy but it was a lovely welcome home greeting!

Now to start planning the next trip!

April 11

April 11

April 11, 2018

Our week continues to be full of activity.

Some of the ENT team had OR cases today and the anesthesia team cared for these patients as well as the orthopedic patients.  The other two anesthesiologists also gave some lectures for St. Paul’s Medical College anesthesia department.  In addition to Ethiopian orthopedic residents, we are doing clinical training for Ethiopian anesthesiology residents and also anesthetists.

The audiology team and the rest of the ENT team were at the School for the Deaf where they were evaluating all of the patients.  They hope to finish this by the end of the week.

It has been a good week for meeting new people but also for us to discuss ways to continue to support education and training and clinical care in ENT and anesthesia throughout the country.  There is some momentum to increase the numbers of providers in response to the great need, and with that goes much need for education and teaching.  I have really enjoyed spending time with several of the Ethiopian anesthesiologists I have gotten to know over the years as well as the anesthesiologists at Cure.

The rest of the week holds more surgery at Cure, clinics and also work at the School for the Deaf, clinical teaching in the OR, lectures and the customary trip to the local Cultural restaurant to enjoy local food, music and dancing.

April 10