I love this report. It shows both the difficulties of practicing medicine in the poorest places of the world, but also the transformation it can bring to people's lives. It's only 11 days till we get on the plane to Africa, and we are more than excited. We hope you enjoy this story, written and photographed by Mercy Ships staff:
Dr. Tony Giles, maxillofacial surgeon, and his wife Ann, an OR nurse, have worked with Mercy Ships in many capacities over the past fourteen years. Recently, they conducted a 28-day screening tour in the northern areas of Togo, from Dapaong to Kpalime. It turned out to be quite an adventure!
Travelling more than 2000km through plateau, jungle, mountain pass and desert scrub, they encountered high winds, downpours, sudden electrical storms and power outages. They worked twelve-hour days – screening and performing surgeries with sub-standard equipment and local anesthetics. A power outage occurred during one surgery, but the flickering light of Dr. Tony's mobile phone allowed him to complete the procedure. And in Dapaong, Dr. Tony removed a pear-shaped growth from the forehead of a 99-year-old man under local anesthetic.
Tony and Ann were greatly encouraged by their Togolese team members. The two observers from the Minister of Health, realizing what was being done for their citizens, took an active and very helpful part in the screenings. The five volunteer translators, two of whom were drivers, helped to transport patients to and from the ship, the Hospitality Center, and testing facilities. They also organized minibus taxis to take patients home and to bring new patients to the screenings. Since they were so closely involved with the screening process, Dr. Tony trained them in pre-screening. As a result, they were able to continue the process with 95% accuracy during the week that the Tony and Ann returned to the ship to cover for Dr. Gary Parker.
Madame Adjeh Assoupi, from the Office of the Minister of Health, joined the team at Atakpame. She was instrumental in solving many of the problems encountered on the tour. Because the surrounding area consisted primarily of farming communities, there were many hernia problems – more than could be handled on the ship. Many of these people could be treated locally, but couldn't afford surgery. So, Madame Adjeh arranged for government funding for them to have hernia surgery at the hospital for a very small charge.
Shortly before leaving Atakpame, a 60-year-old man named Koffi arrived with a limpoma, a large growth on his back attached to his neck. Surgery had been completed for the day, and the team was about to move on to Kpalime. Madame Adjeh suggested transporting Koffi to Kpalime, where Dr. Tony could perform the surgery. She also made sure a diatherm ( to prevent bleeding) would be available for the surgery. She then made overnight arrangements at the local hospital for Koffi, and he went to Kpalime with the government film crew the next day. Using the hospital's instruments, Dr. Tony removed the 12-pound growth, the largest ever to be removed under local anesthetic. The entire procedure was captured by the government film crew. Madame Adjeh and the Assistant Director of the hospital even secured some badly needed clothes for the man and arranged for him to be returned to his village the next day.
Koffi Before
Koffi After
Dr. Tony and Ann told the people, through the interpreters, that goitres are caused by poor diet and a lack of iodine. The film crew interviewed them and also got the local dietician to talk about it on camera. Then the crew went to the local market and filmed the foods, like fish and shrimp, that would help with these problems. This type of adult education can go a long way toward eliminating these problems.
The screenings were advertised through churches and on government radio. The President's TV crew joined the screening team in Kara to film the proceedings, which were broadcast daily in ten-minute segments. The word definitely penetrated the area, but no one realized that such publicity might cause a security problem. By the time the team reached Kpalime, there were so many people surrounding the screening site, an open circular shelter in the ground, the team couldn't get in. The Prefect of Atakpame tried, unsuccessfully, to control the crowd. Finally, the army was called in to restore order. Dr. Tony described the incredible scene: “People just invaded. We were surrounded. We were stuck. We couldn't move. We got a megaphone, but people still didn't want to get out. They didn't want to lose their chance of seeing us. But we couldn't see anybody because we couldn't move. They swarmed everywhere – around us, behind us, in front of us… cramming in. I thought they'd crush us.”
Crowds pressing in at an up-country screening in Togo
They saw many facial tumors, cleft lips and cleft palates, VVF women, burns, hernias, and orthopedic problems – in all, over 3,000 people during the tour. They performed 31 surgeries with local anesthetic and selected 200 patients for possible surgeries. However, Dr. Tony is quick to acknowledge that their primary interest is in the individuals, rather than the numbers.
Due to the strong relationships forged during the screenings and everyone's willingness to help, the partnership between the government and Mercy Ships was played out once again with a remarkably successful result.
Dr. Tony and Ann have seen many miracles over the years, and this screening journey has added to their list. “You see all sorts of things happen. You begin to get confidence,” he explained. “It works … God does it. And these people's lives are changed!”
Story by Elaine Winn
Edited by Nancy Predaina
God bless Tony and Ann!
ReplyDelete