November/december 2009 joint camp

We joined with Global Medical Missions to undertake a joint medical surgical and medical camp at the end of November that continued into December. An ongoing worming campaign is continuing since the camp, to visit every home in each quarter besides coverage of the schools.

The majority of surgical patients presented with large hernias that prevented them working.

Reasonably straightforward surgical correction allows them to return to productive activity, in the main heavy physical work, the likely cause of the hernia in the first place.

Above a hernia op proceeds and to the right a lady presents with a likely breast carcinoma

who required a biopsy to confirm diagnosis. Global Medical Mission will see her after the camp

for further treatment the costs covered by both the Mission and New Foundations.

A small child arrived convulsing from cerebral malaria, a common and frequently fatal presentation. The Health Care Workers are well trained to give acute care in the form of iv fluids, injections and appropriate support. This young boy made a swift recovery over the day and was discharged later that evening. Falciparum malaria is the most dangerous form of Malaria, and a member of the UK team showed early signs of cerebral infection that necessitated leaving camp a day early for treatment. Previously another UK member was admitted to Intensive Care for liver failure demonstrating how dangerous the disease can be to the non-resistant. All new mothers are urged to use Mosquito nets as even prophylaxis is not 100% and prevention is always preferable. Here Oscar checks the child's fever has cooled after a paracetamol injection.

Teachers from the local schools receive new glasses. Donated by Opticians in Cambridge we now have a steady supply of glasses. Though prescription, there are ample to suit most cases.

Ideally we would like a formal assessment , but Snellen testing and reading is empirically adequate to make a significance difference to the majority. Most patients needed glasses for specific tasks, sewing, or mending fishing nets in the main, and were delighted to have clarity for close up work.

We undertook a satellite clinic at the request of a remote community who kindly paid for the transportation. TB appeared common in the community and the lady above presented, pregnant and severely underweight and the suspicion of TB or possible HIV. The baby was small for dates and she was referred for testing and subsequent TB DOT treatment if positive. The prognosis for the unborn child must be at best gloomy.

A little girl who fell onto a glass sherd had been sutured by a local healer and charcoal packed into the wound. After two months and no further dressing the infection had spread threatening the knee cap. A small injury, unless treated can spread and render a joint useless or prove fatal. Simple cleaning of the wound on the right reveals the underlying white bone of the patella and the injury will be dressed regularly, with antibiotic cover . This is the bread and butter of a rural primary health facility and will see the wound gradually and completely heal.

Returning from satellite camp. This will be the last monthly Africa diary report. From January 2010 we will be uploading quarterly reports that will be in a slightly different format and a little more detailed and comprehensive.